Since 1984, the Finnish Business and Policy Forum (EVA) has conducted surveys studying changes in Finnish attitudes, values, and perceptions of the present and the future. For related studies, see the Finnish EU Attitudes 1992-2012 series. Since 2013, EVA has not distinguished between national value and attitude surveys and EU attitude surveys. From 2018 onwards, the EVA Surveys on Finnish Values and Attitudes have been consistently biannual.
The series aims at measuring and analysing citizens' views on Finnish society. The data allow a detailed empirical analysis and systematic follow-up of change in public opinion. Each dataset contains both new themes and recurring themes with questions repeated over the years.
Themes covered include democracy, market economy, welfare, environment, society and politics, Finland's international position, economic depression, economic growth, Finnish identity, and views on the future. The surveys are funded by EVA and have usually been carried out by Yhdyskuntatutkimus and Taloustutkimus. More information on the surveys can be found on the EVA Arvopankki website (in Finnish).
The survey charted Finnish attitudes and values. Respondents were presented with a series of attitudinal statements covering political parties, Finnish society, occupational life, entrepreneurship, market economy, standard of living and economic growth, social welfare, employment and unemployment, public services, environmental issues, taxation, democracy, equality, future government policies, Finnish political life and decision-making, immigration and emigration, foreigners, internationalization, Finland's NATO and EU membership, the Euro and EU's enlargement to Eastern Europe. Respondents were also asked to assess their own voting behaviour (steady support for one party, volatile, non-voter).
Background variables included respondents' sex, age group, size of the municipality of residence, region of residence, type of neighbourhood, occupational group, basic and vocational education, trade union membership, employment sector, which party would vote for in the next parliamentary elections, social class.
The original sample consisted of 4500 persons aged between 15 and 70, randomly selected from Finland's population (the Åland Islands excluded). Finnish-speaking persons received a questionnaire in Finnish and Swedish-speaking in Swedish. The number of adequately completed questionnaires was 2133. Most important demographic, social and regional distributions of the sample corresponded with those of the whole population. Respondents with academic degree or other higher education were somewhat overrepresented.