Statistical presentation

Data description

The payment of the child benefit and youth benefit has been shared between parents who live together since 2022, and it has also become possible for parents who do not live together to share the benefit between them.

Parents and caretakers of children under 18 years in Denmark are entitled to a tax-free benefit called Child and Youth Benefit. Since 2014, the benefit has been income-dependent and is reduced by 2 per cent. of the portion of income exceeding DKK 800,100 (top tax base in 2020) for each parent or caretaker. The child and youth benefit is differentiated according to the child's age.

In addition to the child and youth benefit, various child allowances exist. Child allowance is awarded to single parents, children of pensioners, children where the father has no obligation to contribute, children of widowed parents, children who have lost a parent, parents of children born simultaneously (twins etc.), and parents who are studying. Finally, a temporarily child subsidy (MBT) was introduced mid-2019 for families on reduced cash benefit. This was paid out for the first time in January of 2020.

Most family benefits are paid quarterly - however youth benefits and MBT is paid out monthly, these are aggregated for the relevant quarter in these statistics.

The statistics on Child and Youth Benefits are published annually and contain numbers for each quarter of the previous year.

Classification system

Data is aggregated on municipalities, gender of the recipient and the number of children that the recipient are getting benefits or allowances for as well as on family types and number of children in the family. Additional groupings can be made using research data and custom made tables can be ordered from DST-consulting.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Children and families: All children and families receiving child or youth benefit and/or child allowance.

Child benefit: A benefit paid to families with children under 15 years of age.

Youth benefit: A benefit paid to families with children between 15 - 17 years of age.

Ordinary child allowance: A child allowance for single caretaker, paid per child.

Child allowance supplement: A supplement for single caretakers. The amount is independent of the number of children.

Special child allowance: A special allowance paid if the father is unknown, at least one caretaker is retired or the child have lost a parent.

Temporarily child allowance: An allowance paid if the family receives reduced cash benefit.

Statistical unit

Receipients, children, paid amounts and families.

Statistical population

All children or families who receive child benefit and/or family allowance.

Reference area

Denmark.

Time coverage

The statistics covers back to 2017Q1 in its current format. The statbank contains data dating back to 1982.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Children and families are measured in numbers and average payouts in DKK.

Reference period

01-01-2021 - 31-12-2021.

Frequency of dissemination

Yearly (the 4 quarters of the previous year are published simultaneously).

Legal acts and other agreements

The Law of Statistics Denmark §6, jf. Consolidated Act nr. 599 of 22nd June 2000. The Statistics are used as part of EU-SILC (Regulation (EC) No 1177/2003).

Cost and burden

The statistics is based on the register of child benefit and allowance payments in "ATP /Udbetaling Danmark". The IT-provider is NetCompany. The system is now up and running and in its current form the operational costs are assumed to be fairly small.

Comment

Find more information in Danish on Borger.dk.

For additional information contact Statistics Denmark.