Statistical processing

Source data

Statistics Denmark has extensive statistical data available to compile quarterly statistics for General Government . Quarterly accounting information is available for the central government as well as regions and municipalities. Virtually all significant units are covered by actual primary statistical data, which are not actual completed accounts, as is the case for the annual statistics.

Government institutions transmit their accounting records to the Agency for Public Finance and Management on a daily basis. The records have the same level of detail as the annual public accounts. The transmissions to the Agency for Public Finance and Management also includes postings made after the end of the calendar year, called the supplement period. The sum of monthly reports including data for the supplement period will thus correspond to the annual public account. Data from public companies, the state church, etc., are collected separately.

From municipalities and regions data are gathered quarterly about one month after the end of the quarter. These data are on the same level of detail as the annual data, but the accounts are not finished.

Data for social security funds are sent to Statistics Denmark quarterly.

Data on income transfers are derived from the accounts of the state and municipalities as well as from Udbetaling Danmark. Udbetaling Danmark is a public authority, which since October 2012 has taken over the task of paying a number of social benefits for citizens.

The calculations for estimating quarterly taxes to general government sector is made on the basis of:

• Accounting information on a monthly basis from the tax authorities, SKAT
• Statements of income on a monthly basis from the Ministry of Taxation
• Excise duty statistics from the tax authorities, SKAT
• VAT statement
• Ministry of Finance

In relation to the assessment of the expenditures to COVID-19 aid packages, data from the central government accounts is supplemented with weekly records from Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen) in relation to payment to businesses. There is uncertainty connected with the assessment of the expenditures to COVID-19 aid packages. Post-registrations might occur despite end of the compensation periods. Furthermore, it is very likely that some aid might be repaid to the government, if businesses have not satisfied the conditions for the aid and thus have received unwarranted aid. The last possibility to report any compensation package will occur at 30. November 2022.

In relation to the assessment of the expenditures to mink compensation, data from the central government accounts is supplemented with quarterly records from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration in relation to payment to mink breeders.

Frequency of data collection

Data is collected quarterly.

Data collection

Accounting data is received electronically from the central government, the municipalities, the regions and Udbetaling Danmark.

Data validation

Data are validated by comparing the development and level of the current quarter with previous quarters and years. Moreover, error detection of accounting data is performed.

Data compilation

There is calculated estimates of the supplement period. The estimate is based on the actual entries in the supplement period in the preceding years.

There are some real economic records that are not accrued correctly to the quarters. It is mainly data for the interest rates, consumption of fixed capital and subsidies. For these records an estimate is calculated based on the Denton algorithm. The Denton algorithm uses data from the budget and from accounts of the preceding two years for distributing the accounting entries among the four quarters.

Adjustment

Seasonal adjustment is applied in table OFF10K and OFF12K. Data is seasonally adjusted using JDemetra+ with fixed model examined once a year. There will be adjusted for Easter, trading days and leap years if these effects are significant. Indirect seasonal adjustment is used in the calculation of the seasonally adjusted aggregates. There is no special adoption of the annual figures, and there can be discrepancies between actual and seasonally adjusted figures annually.