Trust by Finns in Supo has remained strong
Supo surveys public perceptions of its work on an annual basis. The latest survey was conducted between 21 November and 2 December 2022, based on a sample representing the population of mainland Finland aged between 18 and 79 years.
A vast majority (91%) of the public in Finland indicate either a high or at least fairly high degree of trust in Supo. Two respondents in five (42%) report a high degree of trust, and one respondent in two (49%) reports a fairly high degree of trust.
Trust in Supo has slightly grown since last year’s survey and the result is the second best in the survey’s ca. 20-year-long history. Only one respondent in a hundred does not trust Supo at all. When the results are examined according to different background variables – such as age, education, employment status, and political stance - differences between groups are rather small. In
all groups, the vast majority trusts Supo.
In the survey conducted as telephone interviews, the respondents were also asked to assess how well Supo has performed its functions. Four respondents in five assessed that Supo has carried out its functions either very well (17%) or fairly well (63%).
The same survey also looks annually at how well people living in Finland know the functions of Supo, which changed to some extent following the introduction of new intelligence legislation in summer 2019.
The best-known Supo functions are gathering intelligence on threats to national security, countering terrorism and preventing espionage targeting Finland. More than 90 per cent of respondents identified these Supo functions. More than 85 per cent of people in Finland also know that Supo distributes intelligence to the President, Government, and public authorities, and
almost 80 per cent of the respondents know that Supo conducts security clearance vetting of people appointed to key positions.
Foreign intelligence is a new function of Supo, and was the least well known (72% of respondents). There has been little change in survey findings since last year.
A total of 1,003 interviews took place, and the margin of error is ± 3 percentage points.
Trust in Supo:
High 42 per cent.
Fairly high 49 per cent.
No opinion 4 per cent.
Not very high 4 per cent.
None at all 1 per cent.