Study title

Barometer for Swedish-speaking Finns B15/2023

Dataset ID Number

FSD4079

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4079
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4079

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)

Abstract

The survey explored Swedish-speaking Finns' views on the Swedish and Finnish languages, their use, and Swedish-language culture in Finland. The data were collected as part of the Citizen Panel of Swedish-speaking Finns (Barometern), which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

Respondents were first asked about their views on statements concerning the status of the Swedish language and the role of Swedish-speaking Finns in Finnish society, and were also asked to assess their own Finnish-language skills. The survey then explored opinions on Swedish-language education and cultural events in Finland. Next, respondents were asked about their use of Swedish in everyday life, including their attitudes towards language mixing and language use in different situations. Respondents were also asked to indicate their views on statements concerning Finland's future development, such as the status of Åland. Towards the end of the survey, respondents were asked about their views on the Swedish People's Party of Finland (SFP), its role in government, and its influence on relations between language groups. Finally, respondents were asked to assess their own linguistic identity.

Background variables include region of residence (at the regional level), gender, age, year of birth, and level of education. In addition, respondents were asked about household size, the number of minors living in the household, and the linguistic background of those minors.

Keywords

attitudes; bilingualism; language policy; language skills; minority language users; minority languages; political parties; politics

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Language and linguistics (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Cultural and national identity (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Political behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Barometers for Swedish-speaking Finns

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Citizen Panel of Swedish-speaking Finns

Funders

• The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland

Time Period Covered

2023

Collection Dates

2023-09-17 – 2023-10-01

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People residing in Finland (including Åland) aged 18 and over who have Swedish as their registered mother tongue

Time Method

Longitudinal: Cohort/Event-based

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

The questionnaire was sent to members of the Citizen Panel of Swedish-speaking Finns (Barometern). In total, 1,967 individuals responded to the survey.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

47,9

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Swedish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The survey included a vignette experiment (Q14.1-Q14.4) that was removed from both the dataset and the questionnaire by the researcher.

Weighting

The dataset includes a weight variable (vikt) that adjusts the sample to correspond to the target population based on the distributions of gender, age, education, and region of residence.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) & Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University): Barometer for Swedish-speaking Finns B15/2023 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2026-06-05). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4079; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4079

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Isak Vento, Jesper Eklund, Jonas Schauman; Service satisfaction among a language minority: a randomized survey experiment on the satisfaction of Swedish-speaking Finns with early childhood education. International Journal of Public Sector Management 19 March 2025; 38 (3): 332-349. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2024-0059.