Statistical presentation

Data description

The statistics on convictions for criminal offences form part of the criminal statistics. The criminal statistics include statistics on criminal cases from reported crimes and victims to convictions and also arrests and imprisonments.

The statistics on convictions for criminal offences are person-based case statistics, which shed light on the number of convictions for violation of the penal code, the road traffic act and other special legislation. Convictions consist of imprisonments, fines, withdrawals and also acquittals. A main distinction is made between guilty decisions (the person has been found guilty) and not-guilty decisions (the person has not been found guilty). The statistics do not contain information on all fines as fines for violation of the road traffic act less than DKK 2,500 and fines of less than DKK 1,000 for the violation of most of the other special laws are not registered in the Central Criminal Register, which is the data source of the statistics.

The conviction concerns the main case as more than one case can be decided in the same conviction. The police chooses one of the cases (typically the most serious) as the main case in a complex of cases. In general, the statistics is distributed by the type of offence etc. of the main cases and the total number of cases are only shown in some few tables. However, the majority of decisions only concerns one case. One person can have one or several convictions during a year.

The published statistics distributes the convictions by type of offence, type of conviction and in case of an imprisonment, the length of sentence, sex, age and municipality of the convicted person.

Classification system

Municipalities and regions plus grouping of the types of decisions and of codes of the criminal offences. The criminal offences are divided into the penal code, the road traffic act and special law/legislation. The penal code is furthermore divided into four subgroups: Sexual offences, Crimes of violence, Offences against property and Other offences. The most special laws/legislation are referred to as single acts, while the rest are categorized as 'Other special laws/legislations'.

The provisions of the Danish Criminal Code regarding sexual offences went through essential amendments taking effect from 1 July 2013. The amendments resulted in e.g. more categories of sexual offences than previously being placed under the provisions about rape (section 216). See more: Rape - Convictions og Rape - Secondary cases

A new concept of consent regarding rape is taking effect from 1st of January 2021 which has resulted in new ways for the police to register offences regarding rape. This has to be taken into account when comparing data over time.

A new concept regarding stalking is taking effect from 14th of December 2022. Stalking figures in 'Coercive control etc'.

Sector coverage

Not relevant for these statistics.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Type of decision: Nature of the sentence passed. This can be an unconditional or a suspended prison sentence, a fine, discharge or dismissal of charge, withdrawal of a charge, sentence to treatment, acquittal etc. Overall, a distinction is made between two types of decisions: verdicts of guilty and verdicts of not guilty. Acquittal and withdrawal of a charge are verdicts of not guilty, whereas all other types of decisions are verdicts of guilty.

Type of offence: Type of offence describes the kind of law violation which the conviction concerns. The criminal offences are divided into the penal code, the road traffic act and special law/legislation. Violations of the penal code are grouped in sexual offences, crimes of violence, offences against property and other offences. The most special laws/legislation are referred to as single acts, while the rest are categorized as 'Other special laws/legislations'. The grouping of offense codes used is available here: Violations of the penalcode.

Statistical unit

The unit in the statistics on convictions is a decision concerning violations of the penal code, the road traffic act or the special legislation. The decision can be conferred by the court, the prosecution and the commissioner of police. The decision could be a statement by the prosecution about either giving up the charge, different forms of withdrawal of charges or the issue of fines and warnings. Decisions made by the court could concern imprisonment, fines and warnings, and also the conditional withdrawal of charges or acquittal.

Statistical population

The population covered by the statistics is convictions made during a calendar year and registered in the Central Criminal Register. If the extract from the register to Statistics Denmark is made before the conviction is registered it will not be included in the statistics.

Reference area

Denmark, except the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Time coverage

The statistics covers the period from 1980 and onwards

Base period

Not relevant to this statistics.

Unit of measure

Number of convictions. Average length of imprisonment is measured in number of months.

Reference period

01-01-2023 - 31-12-2023

Frequency of dissemination

Annual

Legal acts and other agreements

The Act on Statistics Denmark §6.

There is no EU Regulation related to the statistics on convictions.

Cost and burden

There is no response burden as the statistics are based on registers. Data are compiled by the National Commissioner of the Danish Police.

Comment

Convictions have a Subject page