Using geocoded urban and regional statistics to monitor change in the educational level in Finland

Abstract

This paper presents a case study on the use of official statistics in monitoring change in educational level on the na- tional, regional and city levels in Finland. The paper draws on the high-quality Finnish population registers that enable compiling a wide range of regional- and neighbourhood-level time series on various socio-economic indicators. Unlike census data that is usually updated at five to ten year intervals, the Finnish register-based statistical system is now maintained and updated yearly. Furthermore, register-based statistical units can be linked to one another by means of the identification systems, and all units can be geocoded and located on a map. The links between the statistical and geographical data make it possible to conduct fine-scale analyses of the annual changes in population structures at various spatial levels. The aim of the paper is two-fold. The main ob- jective is to analyse regional differences, and changes, in educational level in Finland since the 1970s to the present. The second aim is to explore different ways to visualise these changes with thematic maps.