Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

The statistics covers a substantial part of enterprises in the selected industries and is considered as statistically representative.

Non-sampling errors are caused by non-response errors (about 20 pct. non-responses), and especially missing responses from large companies may cause fluctuations from year to year.

The survey is subject to measurement errors: A senior person in the company is asked to give a quick estimate on investment - either realized or planned.

Sampling error

No sampling error calculations.

Non-sampling error

In general the sample covers the population adequate. By sample update new enterprises may inform they are not registered in correct industry and therefore not relevant. Between lines of businesses there may be some over-coverage because of wrong or changed registration.

The survey is subject to measurement errors: A senior person in the company is asked to give a quick estimate on investment - either realized or planned. Therefore, the answer depends on the level of information and the stage of the company's investment cycle.

Several types of non-responses are associated the survey. There are non-responses because of liquidation or because an active statement about not to participate in the survey. Those two types of non-responses are deleted from the registrations and enumeration files and thus excluded from the statistics. Then there are unit non-responses, about 20 pct. The respondent stays in the sample but has not responded the current year or responds after ultimate deadline. Item non-responses are few, and is estimated not to exceed the unit-non-response level with more than a couple of percent. The total non-response is about 25 per cent for each survey.

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 covers a substantial part of enterprises in the selected industries and is considered as statistically representative.

Non-sampling errors are caused by non-response errors (about 15 pct. non-responses), and especially missing responses from large companies may cause fluctuations from year to year.

The survey is subject to measurement errors: A senior person in the company is asked to give a quick estimate on investment - either realized or planned.

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

In the survey there are no final figures on investments. The survey is carried through twice a year. In March the participating enterprises are asked to give estimates for the investments in the current year and the preceding year. In October the questions relate to estimates for investments in the current year and the coming year. Over a two-year period the collected information forms the basis of four successive calculations of the expected annual change in industrial investments. It is a characteristic of the survey that the first reporting from enterprises on expected investments is comparatively uncertain, while there is only a minor difference between the estimates in the third and fourth reporting.

The estimates on annual changes in the survey can be compared with subsequent annual final results in regnskabsstatistik (Industrial accounts statistics), cf. 3.2. and 4.2.