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Accuracy and reliability

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Food Industries, Business Statistics
Simone Thun
+45 51 36 92 51

sit@dst.dk

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Economic Accounts for Agriculture

As the statistics are compiled on the basis of a wide range of agricultural statistics, a significant number of sources of statistical errors are present. Problems with providing fully representative reference periods can give uncertainty whereas information from dairies and slaughterhouses is exact. For the preliminary results some estimates and assumptions are used until the primary data are finalized which is the reason why the Economic Accounts for Agriculture are finalized two years after the first time published. The reliability f the statistics is good. The margins of statistical error are not calculated.

Overall accuracy

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture is based on a lot of different sources, where the uncertainty is different. Problems with providing fully representative reference periods can give uncertainty whereas information from dairies and slaughterhouses is exact. For the preliminary results some estimates and assumptions are used until the primary data are finalized which is the reason why the Economic Accounts for Agriculture are finalized two years after the first time published. Not all data sources have the same boundary, therefore calculation factors is used. The inaccuracies are larger on regional level.

Sampling error

Not relevant for this statistic.

Non-sampling error

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture are based on a lot of different sources, where the uncertainty is different. Problems with providing fully representative reference periods can give uncertainty whereas information from dairies and slaughterhouses is exact. For the preliminary results some estimates and assumptions are used until the primary data are finalized which is the reason why the Economic Accounts for Agriculture are finalized two years after the first time published. Not all data sources have the same boundary calculation factors is used. The inaccuracies are larger on regional level.

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 statistics are compiled on the basis of several different sources, each contributing with statistical inaccuracies. The accuracy is evaluated to be highest on the areas which has the smallest influence on the results. The difference between the preliminary results and the final figures are around 3 per cent. The accuracy is larger on the regional level.

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

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture is published twice a year and are preliminary for the first two years they are published and are considered final after three years. Between the preliminary and final figures the results may vary up to plus/minus 3 percent. The Economic Accounts for Agriculture on regional level are also published once a year with the same distribution of preliminary and final figures.