Renovation building: documentation of statistics

The statistics on renovation building consist of three separate statistical releases. They are the statistical release on renovation of buildings and apartments, the statistical release on renovations of non-residential buildings and the statistical release on renovation of building construction companies. 

The statistics on renovation of buildings and apartments describe the renovation measures directed to the stock of residential buildings and dwellings and the reasons for them. The statistics on renovation of buildings and apartments are divided into parts according to type of building. The building type categories are one-dwelling and two-dwelling houses, terraced houses and blocks of flats. The statistics are based on direct inquiries carried out each year. 

The statistics on the renovations of non-residential buildings describe the value of the renovation measures on the building stock at annual level. The categories of intended purpose of use in the statistical releases are as follows: office and commercial buildings, industrial buildings and warehouses and service buildings. Service buildings comprise educational buildings, health centre and hospital buildings and social welfare buildings.

The statistics on the renovation of building construction enterprises describe the value of the annually renovation contracts of housing construction enterprises with at least five employees. Construction contracts are grouped into newbuilding and renovation of existing buildings. Renovation contracts are divided into contracts involving residential buildings and contracts involving other buildings. 

The statistical population of the statistics on renovation of buildings and apartments consists of dwellings and housing corporations. Owner-occupied and right-of-occupancy dwellings located in Finland are included in the statistical population of dwellings. Buildings that are less than two years old are not included in the statistical population. Housing companies are included in the statistical population of housing corporations. Only housing companies with at least one block of flats or terraced house are included in the statistical population of housing companies. 

The following buildings located in Finland comprise the population of the statistics on renovations of non-residential buildings: office and commercial buildings, industrial buildings and warehouses and service buildings. Service buildings comprise educational buildings, health centre and hospital buildings and social welfare buildings. 

The population of the statistics on renovation of building construction enterprises comprises the construction enterprises with at least five employees entered in Statistics Finland’s Register of Enterprises and Establishments. The sample is constructed in accordance with Section 3.3. The statistical population comprises more than 5,000 enterprises. Constructor enterprises that are not involved in building contracting work are not included in the population. 
 

A dwelling, housing company and building are the statistical units used in the statistics on renovation of buildings and apartments. 

A building is the statistical unit used in the statistics on renovations of non-residential buildings.

A construction enterprise is the statistical unit used in the statistics on renovation of building construction enterprises.

The data contained in the statistics are published as euro-denominated data, euro-denominated data related to floor area, percentage distributions or working days.

The reference period of the statistics is one year. The value data on renovation building of construction enterprises concern the accounting period ending during the statistical year.

The statistics on renovation building are published at the level of the whole country.

Renovations of buildings and apartments cover housing companies that comprise at least one block of flats or terraced house. One-dwelling and two-dwelling houses and dwellings in blocks of flats and terraced houses in which the owners live are included in the statistics. Right-of-occupancy dwellings are also included in the statistics. Other dwellings and residential buildings are not included in the statistics. 

The following categories are included in the renovations of non-residential buildings: office and commercial buildings, industrial buildings and warehouses and service buildings. Service buildings comprise educational buildings, health centre and hospital buildings and social welfare buildings. Other buildings are not included in the statistics. 

The sample of renovation building of construction enterprises comprises all enterprises with at least 60 employees (the minimum was raised from 50 to 60 in 2020) and enterprises with a turnover of more than EUR 40 million or a balance sheet value of more than EUR 300 million. Large construction enterprises are comprehensively represented in the statistics. Enterprises under the threshold but employing more than five persons have been selected to the sample using stratified random sampling. The strata are based on the size and industrial classification of the enterprise. Small enterprises with fewer than five employees are not included in the statistics. Many small construction enterprises concentrate on renovation building (such as installation and finishing work).
 

The annual data contained in the statistics are available on the website from 2003 onwards. Most of the existing data content is available from 2013 onwards. 

The time series of the renovation of building construction enterprises based on a new calculation method start from the year 2012.
 

Separate data contained in the statistics are published each year.

A separate non-response interview is carried out in the survey on owner-occupied housing. A total of 500 dwellings are randomly selected for the interview from among non-respondents. The non-response interview is carried out because it can be assumed that the level of renovation activity among non-respondents differs from respondents. The non-response interview is used to correct the bias arising from the non-response. 

Annual sample surveys are carried out separately. The sum data describe the amount of money spent on renovation building each year. The method used in the statistics does not include the calculation of the annual change percentage. 

The data on renovation of building construction enterprises are checked and the necessary background data (background variables) on construction enterprises are obtained from the enterprises’ financial statements. Large construction enterprises are comprehensively represented in the statistics. Non-response is higher among small enterprises. Non-response interviews (such as the surveys on owner-occupied housing) are not carried out. 
 

The statistics on renovation building are published within one year of the end of the reference period.

The data are published on the days indicated in the release calendar.

European definitions according to the STS Regulation are used in the production of the statistics, so the data of the statistics are internationally comparable and cover the whole of Finland.

Changes were made in the statistics on service buildings in 2017. The 2016 data on renovations of service buildings are not comparable with statistics for earlier years. 

Changes in the statistics on housing company renovation building were made in 2014, and they concern the method, data collection and data processing. The data are not comparable with statistics for earlier years. 

Changes in the statistics on housing company renovation building were made in 2013, and they concern the method and data processing. In connection with the changes, the data from 2009 onwards were calculated using the new method and the earlier data for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 have been revised. The database tables published using the old method will no longer be updated. 

The value data on renovation of building construction enterprises are comparable for the period 1996 to 2008. The basic population of the survey has been expanded and the figures for 2009 are based on a revised sample and they are not comparable with earlier years. The new standard industrial classification TOL 2008 brought changes in the contents of the construction industry from 2008 onwards. The figures for 2012 are not comparable with earlier years as the basic population has been expanded and the questionnaire form has been revised. The figures published from 2012 onwards are comparable with each other.
 

Statistics Finland publishes the index of construction turnover on a monthly basis. However, no separate figures for the turnover of renovation and newbuilding are given in the statistics. Statistics Finland also publishes statistics on building and dwelling production statistics describing newbuilding subject to permit. They do not contain any figures for renovation building subject to permit.

Data on renovation of building construction enterprises are not coherent with other renovation building statistics.

The statistics on renovation of building construction enterprises cover renovation of building construction enterprises with at least five employees. Renovation of buildings and apartments covers all renovation building irrespective of whether it is carried out by companies employing at least five persons or other parties. However, no value is calculated for self-made work or unpaid work in the renovation of dwellings and residential buildings. In this respect, renovation of building construction enterprises is not coherent with other renovation building statistics.
 

Statistics Finland’s own data collections: 

1. Renovation of dwellings and one-dwelling houses
The inquiry about renovation of owner-occupied dwellings is carried out among residents of one-dwelling and two-dwelling homes, terraced houses and blocks of flats. Buildings that are less than two years old are not included in the inquiry. No data are collected from tenants in the annual inquiries.  

The dwelling renovation inquiry carried out among residents of owner-occupied homes is sent to 5,000 persons. The sample is drawn using systematic random sampling on the basis of the Population Information System building and dwelling data. The frame is stratified in accordance with the dwelling type into three strata: one-dwelling houses (incl. chain houses), terraced houses and blocks of flats. In all strata, the dwellings are arranged in accordance with the domicile code and a systematic random sample is drawn. This produces an implicit regional stratification. The data are collected on response forms by post and online. 

2. Renovation building in housing companies 

In the collection of data on renovations in housing companies, questions are asked about renovation building in housing companies. The data are collected from the managers of the housing companies included in the sample. 
The sample is drawn from the real estate register of the Finnish Tax Administration. The size of the annual sample is approximately 4,000 housing companies of which 3,200 housing companies also take part in the financial survey of housing companies. 



3. Renovations of public service buildings

The statistics on service buildings not owned by municipalities are based on a sample drawn from real estate data of the Finnish Tax Administration. The data on buildings owned by municipalities have been drawn using a separate sample. The inquiry is carried out among building owners. The inquiry is owner-specific and the sample consists of service building owners that are responsible for the renovation costs of all service buildings in their ownership. Thus, no breakdowns by region, building part or age group are available for service buildings. 

4. Renovations of office and commercial buildings 

The sample of office and commercial buildings has been drawn from the real estate data of the Finnish Tax Administration. The inquiry is owner-specific and the sample consists of owners of office and commercial buildings that are responsible for the renovation costs of all office and commercial buildings in their ownership. Thus, no breakdowns by region, building part or age group are available for office and commercial buildings. 

5. Renovation of industrial buildings and warehouses 

The sample has been drawn from the real estate data of the Finnish Tax Administration. The inquiry is owner-specific and the sample consists of owners of industrial buildings and/or warehouses that are responsible for the renovation costs of all industrial buildings and warehouses in their ownership. Thus, no breakdowns by region, building part or age group are available for industrial buildings and warehouses. 

6. Collection of addition data on building permits 

In the inquiry about renovation and expansion permits, respondents are asked to provide the value of the renovations carried out under the permit. The inquiry only concerns permits granted to service buildings, office and commercial buildings and industrial buildings and warehouses. The inquiry about each building type is carried out in the year immediately following the renovation building survey. 

7. Renovation of building construction enterprises 

From the statistical year 2012 onwards, the statistics are based on an inquiry sent on the basis of a sample to building construction enterprises of at least five employees. The sample comprises all enterprises with at least 60 employees (the minimum was raised from 50 to 60 in 2020) and enterprises with a turnover of more than EUR 40 million or a balance sheet of more than EUR 300 million. Enterprises under the threshold but employing more than five persons have been selected to the sample using random sampling. 

The sampling frame of the statistics is based on Statistics Finland’s Register of Enterprises and Establishments. The inquiry is carried out together with the financial statements inquiry for enterprises and its financial statements database is used to analyse enterprises’ background data. The financial statements statistics also contain figures taken from the business tax data of the Finnish Tax Administration. 
 

Data collections 1 and 2 are collected online and on paper form. For data collection 1, non-response interviews are carried out by telephone.

Data for collections 3, 4, 5 and 6 are collected by telephone but after having been contacted, the respondent can also provide the data electronically.

Data collection 7 is only carried out online.
 

Data collections 1, 2 and 7 are carried out each year. 

Data collections 3, 4 and 5 are carried out in alternating years so that each of them is carried out every three years.

Data collection 6 is carried out each year but the target population changes annually in accordance with the purpose of the building so that data on each category of purpose are collected every three years.
 

The data collected on dwellings and residential buildings are checked using rules of logic and erroneous data are corrected or rejected. An outlier review on the data is also carried out and outliers are taken into account when the calculations are made. Sum data for different classifications are calculated from checked and corrected data. The data are inflated to the level of population and in the estimation of the sum data, variable values are weighted by multiplying the value of the variable by its weighting coefficient and by adding up the resulting figures. Non-response and over-coverage are taken into account in the calculation of the weighting coefficients. 

In data collections 3, 4 and 5, non-response contains the reasons why no response has been received. This data are used in the calculation of weighting coefficients. 

Enterprises meeting the requirements are included in the calculation data on construction enterprises and the remaining are transferred to over-coverage. Inadequate responses included in the approved data are corrected using logical processing rules. Sum data with different classifications are calculated from the checked data. The data are inflated to population level and the impact of non-response is corrected. The estimation is carried out by weighing the responses using calibrated weighting coefficients. The calibrated weighting coefficients are created by calibrating the basic weight (reciprocal of inclusion probability) by using the turnover data. The calibration is carried out so that the bias arising from non-response can be minimised. The bias arises because large companies are more likely to submit responses than small enterprises.
 

Data obtained in each data collection are checked and erroneous data are corrected or removed after the end of the data collection.

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