Statistical presentation

Data description

The material flow accounts are of the type EW-MFA, Economy-Wide Material Flow Accounts, which are consistent records of material consumption in national economies. The accounts, as shown in table MRM2, compile the physical material flows into and out of the economy. Thus, the accounts describe the physical consumption of materials in the economy by calculating the weight of the materials and goods moving from nature to the Danish economy (Danish resource extraction) and between the Danish economy and foreign countries (import and export). The accounts also include three derived indicators, namely direct material input, domestic material consumption, and physical trade balance.

Raw material equivalents expand the physical material flow accounts by also accounting for the resource consumption associated with the production of materials and goods that are imported and exported. Raw material equivalents express both the weight of the actual material flow and the weight of the resources consumed in their production. Thus, raw material equivalents describe the amount of materials embedded in the final products included in the countries' economies. Denmark's imports and exports are converted into raw material equivalents using EUROSTAT’s RME model.

Read more about Statistics Denmark's material flow accounts on the topic page Material and Waste Accountsor in the working paper Danish Material Flows - Description and Documentation of Statistics Denmark's Material Flow Accounts (only in Danish), which contains more details.

Classification system

The material flow accounts follow the material groupings classification set by Eurostat (LINK). However, the material categories 1.3M Wood increment and 3.10 Excavated earth materials (including soil) are not included unless used (voluntary reporting).

Raw material equivalents are calculated only for four of the main material types in the calculation of raw material equivalents, and the subdivision of material types is not at the same level of detail as in the physical calculation. This is because the material flows calculated in raw material equivalents are computed using a model, and therefore there is some uncertainty for certain material types at the most detailed level.

The material flows calculated in raw material equivalents are also compiled into 40 service categories, including construction, transportation services, wholesale and retail trade, and electricity supply. The raw material equivalents for goods and service groups follow Eurostat's CPA nomenclature.

Sector coverage

The material flow accounts are compiled for the entire Danish economy.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Direct material input: The sum of domestic extraction of natural resources and their imports of goods. Indicates the country's total material input.

Physical trade balance: The difference between imports of goods and exports of goods. It's a measure of Denmark's material dependence on foreign countries.

Domestic material consumption: The amount of materials either consumed or accumulated in the Danish economy. Direct material input minus exports.

Domestic extraction: Extraction of materials such as minerals, metals, fossil energy and biomass within the country's borders.

Material (material flow accounts): All natural resources, products, and byproducts (waste, air emissions, etc.) associated with Danish economic activities. Water is not included in the accounting of materials.

Raw material consumption: Domestic material consumption measured in raw material equivalent.

Raw material equivalent: The amount of raw materials globally required to produce a good or service. The raw material equivalent includes all the raw materials that need to be extracted from nature, including those used in the production processes both by the primary producer and by all subcontractors in Denmark and other countries.

Statistical unit

The quantity of materials can be calculated for a single product group (both goods and services) or for overarching categories such as total imports, exports, or consumption.

Statistical population

All units engaged in economic activity on the Danish territory.

Reference area

Denmark, however, for the resource equivalents, includes global resource extraction.

Time coverage

The EW-MFA cover the time period from 1993 and onwards.

The RME cover the time period from 2008 and onwards.

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

The material flows are measured in tonnes per year.

Reference period

These statistics covers the calendar year.

Frequency of dissemination

Yearly.

Legal acts and other agreements

The legal authority to collect data is provided by the Act on Statistics Denmark, section 8, as subsequently amended (most recently by Act no. 610 of 30th May, 2018).

These statistics are covered by Regulation no. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.

Cost and burden

There is no direct response burden in relation to the compilation of these statistics, since all information is based on existing statistics.

Comment

Further information can be found at the subject page on Material flows and waste or by contacting Statistics Denmark directly.