Many things happen automatically in the eyes of Finland’s citizens thanks to the population information system

In Finland, population data is compiled in a single digital population information system. While several countries, particularly in Europe, have centralised digital population registers, the Finnish system is one of, if not possibly the best in the world in terms of the scope and reliability of content and the extensive utilisation of data. Several countries’ central governments have been interested to learn about the experiences and lessons learned about registration of population data in Finland from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which is the agency that maintains the system.

Foundation of our digital society

The population information system is the foundation of our digital society, the kind of digital infrastructure upon which many other functions of our society are built. For example, electronic identification and the ability to act on behalf of dependent children are based on data in the population information system.

Data in the population information system is updated by several different authorities: hospitals submit information on births and deaths, municipalities maintain information on properties, buildings and apartments, parishes report new marriages and names given to children, to name some examples.

The population information system streamlines daily lives

The population information system plays a role in the many everyday events of Finland’s citizens, invisible to them as it may seem. For example, a child will be given personal identity code automatically when the hospital reports the newborn to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which is received by the hospital as a response to the report. In many other countries, parents must personally take care of these matters after the birth of a child. When a death is reported to the population information system, it is updated for several actors, and family members do not have to contact each party separately.  

The population information system also records the population’s addresses and changes of address, municipalities of residence, divorces and family relationships. The system automatically generates the voting register and constituencies and establishes the polling station for each voter. In addition, certain age groups can be automatically invited to a cancer screening, for example. 
Thanks to the population information system, residents of Finland do not need to keep a significant amount of original documents. In many countries, people must store and take care of several documents, such as their marriage certificates, on their own. In Finland, information on marriage can be found in the population information system and nobody needs separate documents to prove their marital status.

The population information system knows who is entitled to manage a child’s affairs and act on their behalf. In turn, the rescue department benefits from building and property information, as it can receive information on the type of site that the alarm is from, allowing them to prepare for the assignment accordingly. In addition, immigrants do not need to separately notify their new address to every possible party, as public actors and several private parties update their customer registers directly from the population information system.

"The data kept in the population information system serves as the basis for our society’s information management. The system is one of the key building blocks for digital services, enabling the efficient implementation of different digital services. Our goal is to only ask citizens for information once, and make that information automatically available to different actors in society to the extent permitted by legislation,” says Director General Timo Salovaara from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Digital infrastructure requires maintenance

Digital infrastructure requires maintenance and servicing just like the road network does, for example. Without investments, it will not be able to meet the needs of information services in the future.

“We have our excellent population information system, which has met the diverse information needs of society for 50 years and made it easier for people living in Finland. As a result, many things seem to happen as if they were automatic for the citizens. However, no system will remain functional unless the basic infrastructure changes to meet future needs. Digital services will only keep improving and changing and the population information system must continue to be compatible with these systems. If not, different digital services will not be able to use the information in the basic register. A continuous increase in electronic services also requires continuous investment in the common services on which they are based, such as the population information system,” says Salovaara.