4.9 Population information on individual level to producers of statistics

At the time when the Central Statistical Office of Finland was established in the 1860s population statistics were still collected with forms containing ready-made statistical tables. This restricted the use of the information obtained because no other kind of tables could be produced on the phenomena examined than those pre-defined in the form.

Old statistical forms did not meet the needs of statistical authorities as they could not either verify the reliability of the information obtained.

Use of information given entirely on individual basis was considered as a solution to the problems of population statistics. Several European countries had conducted direct population censuses based on individual forms and the experiences gained from these encouraged Finnish statistical authorities as well.

The information on children born, for example, was obtained as a ready-made table by age of mother. Introduction of individual-based information collection would provide information on all mothers having given birth and on the mother's date of birth, marital status, municipality of domicile and so on.

Individual-level information collection was thought to increase the workload of clergymen even further and the proposals made were rejected mainly because of the clergy's opposition to them. In contrast, Sweden had started to use individual-based information in 1858 in connection with a great statistical reform. Finns often based their proposals on that, and could not understand the negative stance of the church towards the reform. In Sweden the local statistical office received duplicates of church registers, which clergymen had copied by hand for the statistical office.