Autopsy rate in Finland
Finland: Autopsy rate was 18.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Autopsy rate in Finland, 1970–2020
Source: Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for autopsy rate in Finland is 18.2%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 38.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, autopsy rate in Finland peaked at 38.3% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 2020.
Finland ranks 7th of 39 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Autopsy rate in Finland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 32.6% | — |
| 1971 | 34.2% | +4.9% |
| 1972 | 37.1% | +8.5% |
| 1973 | 38.3% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 35.6% | -7.0% |
| 1975 | 35.3% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 35.3% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 36.6% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 36.7% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 38.2% | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 37.7% | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 37.9% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 38.0% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 36.6% | -3.7% |
| 1984 | 36.4% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 35.7% | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 35.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 34.5% | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 34.2% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 34.8% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 33.7% | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 32.4% | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 31.1% | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 29.6% | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 31.0% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 31.0% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 31.1% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 31.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 31.2% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 30.0% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 30.5% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 30.1% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 29.9% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 30.6% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 32.1% | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 32.5% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 31.5% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 31.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 31.1% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 29.8% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 27.7% | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 25.6% | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 23.9% | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 22.7% | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 21.1% | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 20.6% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 20.2% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 19.4% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 18.2% | -2.2% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 18.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.0%, 2.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Finland's 18.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.0% | 32.6% | 38.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 36.1% | 34.2% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.3% | 29.6% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.1% | 29.9% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 18.6% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.2% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More reference data data for Finland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2998 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1241 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1748 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6733 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6503 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9518 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is autopsy rate in Finland?
- Autopsy rate in Finland was 18.2% in 2020, according to Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest autopsy rate recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 1973.
- What is the lowest autopsy rate recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 2020.
- How does Finland rank for autopsy rate?
- Finland ranks 7th out of 39 countries with data for 2020.
- Is autopsy rate rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from Paratz et al. (2023); World Health Organization (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Autopsy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of all deaths for which an autopsy was performed. Autopsies may be used to determine the cause of sudden deaths; when there is a lack of doctors and nurses, medical records, or death certificate training; or for other legal or cultural reasons.