Statistical presentation

Data description

The statistics of cash benefits can be distributed on nine types of benefits and one total count. The total count is called Benefits, total and contains a sum of all benefits. A person may receive more than one benefit a month why the total count is purged of duplicates on an individual persons-level. Persons who receive Special support on account 5.73.009 are included in the total count (Social assistance benefits, total), but are not shown separately as a type of benefit. At the publication of Q4 2018, the statistics also contain seasonally adjusted figures

The statistics contain the following types of benefit: Recipients of social assistance total, Educational allowance total, Wage subsidies for persons receiving social assistance and educational allowance total, Social assistance and educational allowance under pre-rehabilitation total, Social assistance and integration benefits for foreigners and others total, Rehabilitation benefit total, Cash benefits total, Labour market allowance total, and Special educational allowance total.

A more detailed distribution of the statistics is available from January 2016 onwards. From this period of time the statistics can be distributed on an account-code level of detail. Historical tables containing detailed account-code levels can be found as achieved tables in the StatBank.

Classification system

Statistics Denmark use Eurostat's geographical breakdown called NUTS (Nomenclature Units Territorial Statistique).

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Persons: Persons who receive any type of cash benefit. If the amount paid to a person is relatively low the person is not included in affected persons cf. the following rule. The amount paid must be greater than 1/31 of either the average of the amount paid related to the specific type of benefits * or * the median of the amount paid related to the specific type of benefits (the lowest of the two is chosen).

Family type: Click here for more information about the types of families.

Full-time equivalent: Full-time equivalent on an annual basis.

Ancestry: Ancestry has three categories; immigrants, descendants and Danish origin. Immigrants are born abroad, and none of the parents are Danish citizens and born in Denmark. Descendants are born in Denmark, and none of the parents are Danish citizens and born in Denmark. The rest of the population has Danish origin.

National origin: The categories in national origin is determined from a person's country of origin. Click here for more information on country of origin.

Amount: The amount paid, which are registered on a person. The amounts paid are distributed after the municipalities authorized account plan of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior.

Visitation category: The jobcentre carries out an assessment to place the unemployed person into one of four categories on the basis of the person’s ability to work. The categories are ready to work, Ready to participate in training programs, openly ready for education and training and ready for education and training.

Statistical unit

Affected persons (actual figures and seasonally adjusted) and amounts in DKK 1.000 . The yearly statistics also counts whole year persons.

Statistical population

Recipients of cash benefits and other similar benefits according to administrative registers.

Reference area

Denmark.

Time coverage

These statistics have been compiled since 1983, but is in its current form comparable from 2007 and onwards.

Up until 1993, the number of recipients was calculated in families, and from 1994 in persons. From 2007 the statistics is based on data from KMD-Aktiv and the corresponding system in the municipality of Herning.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Affected persons (actual figures and seasonally adjusted) and amount in DKK 1.000. The yearly statistics also counts whole year persons.

Reference period

The time of reference in the yearly statistics is all months within the given calendar year. The time of reference in the monthly statistics is the calendar month an allowance has been registered.

Frequency of dissemination

The statistics are published quarterly and yearly. The quarterly published statistics are distributed on months.

Legal acts and other agreements

The Act on Statistics Denmark (Lov om Danmarks Statistik), Section 6)

Cost and burden

These statistics are based on administrative data. There is thus no direct response burden, in relation to the compilation of these statistics.

Comment

The COVID-19 Crisis and the beginning of the war in Ukraine have caused minor increases in the number of persons receiving cash benefits. Further information can be found at the Subject page for these statistics, or by contacting Statistics Denmark directly.