Login-related questions

How do I replace lost login information?

If you believe that someone may have gained access to your login information, notify MONA immediately, so that we can lock your account. If you’ve forgotten your login information, please contact our support team. If you have forgotten your password, we will send you a new password by registered mail. Provide the address to which your new password should be sent.

Can I connect to MONA from outside Sweden?

Use of MONA is permitted within the EU, EEA, and third countries approved for data transfer by the European Commission. The terms of use prohibit the use of MONA in countries not approved by the European Commission. For this reason, using MONA from a Swedish embassy or consulate in a third country not approved for data transfer, or using a network connection (VPN) to route traffic to MONA via a third country not approved for data transfer, is prohibited.

The list of third countries approved by the European Commission for data transfer is available here: 

Adequacy decisions | European Commission (europa.eu) 

It is not permitted to use MONA from the US or Canada.

I want to change my password, what rules apply?

The password you have chosen is valid for two years. You can change password at any time by opening the MONA remote desktop and pressing Ctrl+Alt+End. If you haven’t changed your password, you will after two years, receive a prompt to change your password when you are logging in. Remember to choose a unique password that you do not use for other systems. Should you lose your password to some system, security at MONA is not affected if your password is unique. The password may not consist of a single word that can be found in a dictionary and may not contain your username in MONA. 

The password must be at least 12 characters, and must contain characters from at least three of the following categories:

• Uppercase letters (A-Z)
• Lowercase letters (a-z)
• Base 10 digits (0 through 9)
• Non-alphanumeric characters (special characters):
  ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * _ - + = ` | \ ( ) { } [ ] : ; " ' < > , . ? /

Why does my MONA connection get disconnected?

After 30 minutes of inactivity you will be logged out of MONA, but you will be able to resume the session by logging in again. After another sixteen hours of inactivity the session will be terminated and you risk losing unsaved work.

If you experience that you are logged out of your session earlier, perform the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Make sure the login browser tab is not closed.
2. Check if the problem persists using a different browser.
3. Make sure there are no energy-saving settings that are causing your computer to enter sleep/hibernate mode.
4. Check if the problem persists from a different computer and/or from a different internet network.
5. Try using a cable internet connection rather than wifi.

If none of these suggestions solve the problem, contact MONA support.

Software-related questions

Is it possible to use software products other than those to which I already have access?

There is a list of available software in MONA Info, located on your Start menu in MONA. If you can’t find the software concerned in the list, contact MONA support and they will investigate whether the software can be added to MONA.

How do I access data delivered in SQL format from STATA, SAS, SPSS or R?

Go to MONA Info, located on your Start menu in MONA, and then click on the software instructions that interest you.

Is it possible to install add-ons for STATA?

Yes, instructions for adding personal ado-files are available via “Mona Info” in MONA. You can also contact MONA support to request a new add-on, but make sure that it is not already installed.

Is it possible to install add-ons for R?

Yes, but you cannot do it yourself. All packages available via The Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) are installed in MONA by default, so make sure that the required package is not already installed before you contact MONA support to request a new package.

Other questions

Is it permissible to download results/aggregates from MONA where there are cells with only one or a few observations?

According to the terms of use, it is not permissible to download microdata from MONA. It is your responsibility not to download any data that contain microdata from MONA. Microdata refers to individual objects, e.g., people, companies, workplaces, schools, etc.

Aggregated data can contain cells with only a few objects. It is permitted to download aggregate data of this kind. But you must remember that the data are protected by secrecy, and that it is your responsibility to verify the information before disclosing it. If you need guidance, there is more information and a report (in Swedish) about disclosure control here: Röjandekontroll – viktig för statistikens kvalitet (scb.se)

Is downloading synthetic or simulated microdata permitted?

Synthetic microdata may be downloaded if they are not directly or indirectly attributable to an individual, company or other object. Even if no original data are found in the synthetic microdata, patterns that pose a risk of disclosure may remain. For that reason, it’s very difficult to create synthetic microdata that provide comparable analysis results without risking disclosure. Synthetic microdata are subject to confidentiality—either under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (government agencies) or confidentiality agreements (private)—wherever a risk of disclosure arises. Under the terms of use, individual users are not allowed to download confidential microdata themselves. Statistics Sweden cannot assist in verification of synthetic data, which is the responsibility of the organisation providing the data.

Can I add my own files to my MONA account?

Yes, but you should only submit files to Statistics Sweden for import into MONA that are necessary/related to other operations in MONA. Go to MONA Info located on your Start menu in MONA for more information.

Please note that all files will be inspected before they are copied into the MONA system. Files containing malicious code or that enable interoperability between other data will not be accepted.

At what times is MONA support available?

You can find the current opening hours at mona-en