Government personnel in statistics

Government personnel as part of the workforce

Information on the number and development of central government personnel is provided starting from 1970 in relation to the entire workforce, salaried employees and workers in other sectors in the corresponding period. The details indicate the development of the central government’s on-budget finances, the employee numbers of state enterprises, and the agencies that have been made into state enterprises or corporations.

Tables on personnel in the entire government sector

Employed labour and salaried employees in 1970–2022 (Excel file)

Government sector personnel by type of service relationship in 1989–2022 (Excel file)

Tables on personnel covered by the on-budget finances

Personnel under on-budget finances by type of service relationship for 1965–2023 (Excel file)

Number and distribution of personnel under employment contract covered by the on-budget finances by working hour arrangement in 1975–2023 (Excel file)

Personnel under on-budget finances by administrative branch in 1975–2023 (Excel file)

Personnel under on-budget finances at ministries in 1987–2023 (Excel file)

Income and labour costs

A pay statistics guide (Palkkatilasto-opas), which was published to support the use of statistics on earnings and labour costs, is available at the link below. The pay statistics guide is a guidebook on various pay statistics, which was compiled by the Office for the Government as Employer, Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals JUKO, Confederation of State Employees’ Unions and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL. The guide aims to be a concise and straightforward representation of pay statistics. It covers all the necessary concepts and definitions used in the collection of pay statistics and in labour market and negotiation activities. The aim has been to present the concepts in such a way that the statistical data can be easily utilised without in-depth knowledge about statistics.

Palkkatilasto-opas (PDF)

Income level is examined based on a variety of classifications. These include service relationship, form of employment, age, education and income bracket. The income level is indicated based on earnings concepts. The content of the earnings concepts is described in the pay statistics guide.

Income and income development in 2019–2023 (Excel file)

The central government’s labour costs are described by item and in proportion to pay for completed working hours and salary/wage amounts, for example. The information indicates the share of non-wage labour costs in pay for completed working hours. The development of salary/wage amounts and labour costs for personnel under the central government’s on-budget finances are presented starting from 1970. The salaries and labour costs are proportioned to government expenditures and the gross domestic product, for example. The salary amount is also proportioned to the salary amount for the entire national economy.

Labour costs (Excel file)

Projection on retirement and other personnel loss

The report presents a table and diagram of the annual numbers of personnel retiring due to old age or other reasons and leaving to work for another employer. As regards retirement due to old age, the projection is based on Keva calculations, which, in turn, are based on the normal personalized retirement ages for employees. The figures do not account for any possible advancements or postponements of retirement. Information on other types of retirement (incl. disability pension) and resignations to work for another organisation are derived directly from the previous year’s figure, which means that the year-on-year percentages can vary significantly

Central government’s personnel loss in 2024–2033 (Excel file)


The Finnish Government Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR Palkeet is responsible for all details in the ‘Personnel information’ section, with the exception of the central government’s personnel report.

Contact information:
Reporting/Tahti service
tahti(at)palkeet.fi