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Absence from work

How much absence do employees have due to their own sickness and their children's sickness, and how has this absence developed over time? The statistics of absence shed light on the work effort lost due to absence. Absence is measured in both days and percentages and is broken down by gender, age, sectors, and industries.

Selected statistics on Absence from work

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Absence from work. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Absence due to own sickness

Here you can see the development of absence from work due to personal sickness. The number of days is measured in absence days, meaning they are converted to full-time equivalents.
More about the figure
Last update
30.10.2024
Next update
9.12.2025
Source data

Absence data

The data for the governmental sector are collected by Moderniseringsstyrelsen (The Agency for the Modernisation of Publlic Administration) on a quarterly basis from the whole governmental sector. The information from the local government sector are collected in association with KRL; an actor in the local government sector. The data for the private sectors are collected as a sample of 2600 enterprises in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings and absence systems or a spread sheet.

Earnings data

The absence periods are matched with the job from which the person has been absent. The data from the earnings statistics are used to create the jobs. For the governmental sector data are collected from the governmental earnings systems. Data are reported monthly for all individual employee. Earnings data for the local government sector are collected in association with KRL. The data for the private sectors are also collected in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings systems.

Other

The register of People receiving public benefits is used to exclude persons in flexible jobs or light jobs. The register of benefits during sickness or in connection with childbirth is used to exclude chronically sick persons, to create the periods of maternity leave in the central government sector and to validate the periods of absence. .

Absence due to own sickness by sector

Here you can see the absence from work due to personal sickness by sector. The number of days is measured in absence days, meaning they are converted to full-time equivalents. 
More about the figure
Last update
30.10.2024
Next update
9.12.2025
Source data

Absence data

The data for the governmental sector are collected by Moderniseringsstyrelsen (The Agency for the Modernisation of Publlic Administration) on a quarterly basis from the whole governmental sector. The information from the local government sector are collected in association with KRL; an actor in the local government sector. The data for the private sectors are collected as a sample of 2600 enterprises in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings and absence systems or a spread sheet.

Earnings data

The absence periods are matched with the job from which the person has been absent. The data from the earnings statistics are used to create the jobs. For the governmental sector data are collected from the governmental earnings systems. Data are reported monthly for all individual employee. Earnings data for the local government sector are collected in association with KRL. The data for the private sectors are also collected in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings systems.

Other

The register of People receiving public benefits is used to exclude persons in flexible jobs or light jobs. The register of benefits during sickness or in connection with childbirth is used to exclude chronically sick persons, to create the periods of maternity leave in the central government sector and to validate the periods of absence. .

Absence due to own sickness by age groups

Here you can see absence from work due to personal sickness, broken down by age groups and expressed as a percentage. The absence percentage measures absence days as a proportion of possible working days in the year.
 
More about the figure
Last update
30.10.2024
Next update
9.12.2025
Source data

Absence data

The data for the governmental sector are collected by Moderniseringsstyrelsen (The Agency for the Modernisation of Publlic Administration) on a quarterly basis from the whole governmental sector. The information from the local government sector are collected in association with KRL; an actor in the local government sector. The data for the private sectors are collected as a sample of 2600 enterprises in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings and absence systems or a spread sheet.

Earnings data

The absence periods are matched with the job from which the person has been absent. The data from the earnings statistics are used to create the jobs. For the governmental sector data are collected from the governmental earnings systems. Data are reported monthly for all individual employee. Earnings data for the local government sector are collected in association with KRL. The data for the private sectors are also collected in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings systems.

Other

The register of People receiving public benefits is used to exclude persons in flexible jobs or light jobs. The register of benefits during sickness or in connection with childbirth is used to exclude chronically sick persons, to create the periods of maternity leave in the central government sector and to validate the periods of absence. .

Absence due to children's sickness by sector

Here you can see the absence from work due to children's sickness by sector. The number of days is measured in absence days, meaning they are converted to full-time equivalents. 
More about the figure
Last update
30.10.2024
Next update
9.12.2025
Source data

Absence data

The data for the governmental sector are collected by Moderniseringsstyrelsen (The Agency for the Modernisation of Publlic Administration) on a quarterly basis from the whole governmental sector. The information from the local government sector are collected in association with KRL; an actor in the local government sector. The data for the private sectors are collected as a sample of 2600 enterprises in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings and absence systems or a spread sheet.

Earnings data

The absence periods are matched with the job from which the person has been absent. The data from the earnings statistics are used to create the jobs. For the governmental sector data are collected from the governmental earnings systems. Data are reported monthly for all individual employee. Earnings data for the local government sector are collected in association with KRL. The data for the private sectors are also collected in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings systems.

Other

The register of People receiving public benefits is used to exclude persons in flexible jobs or light jobs. The register of benefits during sickness or in connection with childbirth is used to exclude chronically sick persons, to create the periods of maternity leave in the central government sector and to validate the periods of absence. .

Absence due to own sickness distributed by absence periods

Here you can see absence from work due to personal sickness distributed by period length.
More about the figure
Last update
30.10.2024
Next update
9.12.2025
Source data

Absence data

The data for the governmental sector are collected by Moderniseringsstyrelsen (The Agency for the Modernisation of Publlic Administration) on a quarterly basis from the whole governmental sector. The information from the local government sector are collected in association with KRL; an actor in the local government sector. The data for the private sectors are collected as a sample of 2600 enterprises in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings and absence systems or a spread sheet.

Earnings data

The absence periods are matched with the job from which the person has been absent. The data from the earnings statistics are used to create the jobs. For the governmental sector data are collected from the governmental earnings systems. Data are reported monthly for all individual employee. Earnings data for the local government sector are collected in association with KRL. The data for the private sectors are also collected in collaboration with the employer unions, Danish Employers' Confederation, Finance Denmark and Insurance and Pension. The information are registered in the enterprises own earnings systems.

Other

The register of People receiving public benefits is used to exclude persons in flexible jobs or light jobs. The register of benefits during sickness or in connection with childbirth is used to exclude chronically sick persons, to create the periods of maternity leave in the central government sector and to validate the periods of absence. .

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

Absence from work

The purpose of the statistics of absence is to describe the amount of work that is lost due to absence. Absence is divided into "Own sickness", "Children's sickness", "Occupational injury" and "Maternity and adoption leave". The statistics are published on a yearly basis and are used for estimating and comparing the level of absence within different groups of employees.

Need more data on Absence from work?

You can go on searching on your own in Statbank Denmark. Find detailed figures on absence by gender, education, occupation and absence due to occupational injury.

Contact

Summer Cook
Phone: +45 30 68 39 52
Nete Nielsen
Phone: +45 40 10 48 87