Offences against the Penal Code

Updated: 2.4.2013 - Next update: 31.12.2013

Income of persons suspected of offences lower than for the whole population

According to Statistics Finland's data, the number of persons suspected of the offences solved in 2012 by the police, customs and border guard was 284,000. Compared to the previous year, the number of all suspects decreased by six per cent. Average income (income subject to state tax) of suspects aged 15 or over belonging to the registered population was approximately EUR 12,000 while the corresponding income for the entire population was approximately EUR 26,000. The respective median incomes were approximately EUR 6,600 and EUR 22,000.

In 2012, a total of 425,000 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard. This was 33,000 down from the year before. In addition, 435,000 cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic offences were recorded, which is 69,000 cases less than in the previous year.

The presentation of the statistics was revised as of the beginning of 2009. Endangerment of traffic safety and traffic offences are separated from other offences and they are presented in a separate table. The total number of offences is comparable with earlier figures, because the same division has also been made retrospectively until 1980. The aim of the revision is to improve the comparability of offences between different years and enhance their international comparability. The quality description of the statistics contains more detailed annual information about revisions but it is regrettably only published in Finnish.

From the beginning of 2009, offences recorded by the customs and border guard are also included. The change does not have much effect on the comparability of offences. Of the most common types of offences the change primarily affects the comparability of narcotics offences.

Statistical release

Source:
Statistics Finland / Offences known to the police

Description of indicator

The statistics on offences known to the police describe the regional distribution of offences and activities of the police. The statistics contain data on the types and numbers of detected offences. In addition, they examine the numbers of offences investigated and solved by the police, proportions of solved offences by type of offence and cases where reporting has been found ungrounded.

This figure indicates how many per cent of all offences which become known during a statistical year consist of offences solved. Therefore the figure may be higher than 100.