Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

The reliability of the statistics on convicted criminal offences is considered to be good. The data come from a single administrative register and Statistics Denmark receives a single total extract including all the convicted criminal offences in Denmark. The statistics include all convictions registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of convictions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of convictions presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year.

Sampling error

There is no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled on the basis of registers.

Non-sampling error

The statistics include all convictions registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of convictions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of convictions presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year.

The statistics does not include all fines as fines below DKK 2,500 for violation of the road traffic act and fines below DKK 1,000 for violation of the main part of the other special laws are not registered in the central criminal register.

There is no unit non-response or item non-response

Quality management

Statistics Denmark follows the recommendations on organisation and management of quality given in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and the implementation guidelines given in the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF). A Working Group on Quality and a central quality assurance function have been established to continuously carry through control of products and processes.

Quality assurance

Statistics Denmark follows the principles in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and uses the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF) for the implementation of the principles. This involves continuous decentralized and central control of products and processes based on documentation following international standards. The central quality assurance function reports to the Working Group on Quality. Reports include suggestions for improvement that are assessed, decided and subsequently implemented.

Quality assessment

The reliability of the statistics on convicted criminal offences is considered to be good. The data come from a single administrative register and Statistics Denmark receives a single total extract including all the convicted criminal offences in Denmark. The statistics include all convictions registered in the central criminal register at the time the extract to Statistics Denmark is done, typically about February 1st following the relevant calendar year. A number of convictions made during the calendar year will happen not to be registered before the time of extraction. That implies that the total number of convictions presumably is under-estimated. The exact size is not known but is regarded as limited and of the same extent each year.

The statistics does not include all fines as fines below DKK 2,500 for violation of the road traffic act and fines below DKK 1,000 for violation of the main part of the other special laws are not registered in the central criminal register.

By studying the development in the number of convictions (typical fines) for violation of the road traffic act and other special laws as police regulation and euphoriants act it has to be considered that the activity of the police in the form of e.g. speed controls or special efforts in the night life by itself can affect the number of convictions. An increase in the number of convictions in these areas does not necessarily reflect an increase in the number of violations but can also reflect that a greater proportion are discovered and registered.

There is no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled on the basis of registers.

Data revision - policy

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.

Data revision practice

Only final figures are published.