Comparability

Comparability - geographical

Statistics on childcare are published in a large number of countries. However, the statistics are not subject to any common international guidelines, which means that national methods may vary from country to country. The subject of child care in the OECD countries is described in the report Education at a Glance 2024.

Comparability over time

Statistics on childcare can be dated back to 1943. In those years it was about the Child Welfare Service, where inventories was made on the number of institutions and spaces available. From 1983 until 1993 the inventories measures the number of children enrolled in the age group 0-14 years. Institutions for childcare after school start can also be found for the age group. From 1994 until 2007 the inventories are divided into type of institution – such as SFO and After school centers. In 2007 the age group is extended to children in the age of 0-18 years (as it is today).

From 2015 a new table is found, which divide type of institutions into the categories School based leisure time facility, After school centers, Clubs, etc. Until 2004, the measurement dates for the inventories is a given time in the spring, but as of 2004, the measurement date moved to the beginning of October. It will – all else equal – overestimate the number of children before 2004 compared to the numbers after 2004. Comparison should also take the reform of municipalities in 2007 into consideration.

From 2015 until 2018 positions of categories are divided into

• Management, Inspectors
• Office work
• Doctors, nurses
• Teachers
• Social workers
• Physio and occupationalt herpists
• Pedagogical work
• Pedagogical assistants
• Social and health care assistants
• Catering officer, cook
• Cleaning and kitchen help
• Caretakers

From 2019 position of categories are divided into

• Management, Inspectors
• Pedagogical work
• pedagogical work assistant.

The reason why the position of categories are confined is that there has been a demand for only counting pedagogical staff in childcare for schoolchildren. The same approach have been applied to childcare before school start from 2015. Furthermore, a analysis of the positions indicated that only few or none muncipatlities register staff in the many of the categories of child care. This is due to many positions of categories before 2018 are not relevant to childcare for schoolchildren. These are for example Doctors, nurses and Caretakers.

Coherence - cross domain

Statistics Denmark publishes data on yearly rates of child-care in the StatBank table RES88. This includes rates for enrolment in after-school-care schemes (SFO), recreation clubs and recreation centres.

The number of institutions for children and young people can be found in the StatBank table DAGTIL4.

Statistics Denmark also publishes figures on children and staff with pedagogical responsibilities, as well as staff-to-child ratios for children below school age. These are available under Childcare.

It is not possible to calculate staff-to-child ratios for children attending after-school care and youth clubs based on StatBank data, as only staff are recorded in full-time equivalents, whereas the number of children is stated as actual headcount.

Coherence - internal

Not relevant for these statistics.