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.

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 1975 the inventories measures the number of children enrolled in the age group 0-2 years and 3-6 years, and there are figures for the number of institutions, and number of full-time spaced divided between nurseries and kindergartens. Figures from before 1983 can be found in statistical yearbooks, while figures from 1983 onwards can be found in the Statbank.

Until 2007, the measurement dates for the inventories is a given time in the spring, but as of 2007, the measurement date moved to the first October.

From 2015, the number of children and employees is measured on one day. As of 2015, enrolled children and employees are measured as full-time equivalents (number of full-time enrolled children and full-time employees) over a year. This means, for example, that children who are enrolled under 25 hours (part-time enrolled) count 0.5 full-time equivalents, while children enrolled between 26-35 hours count for 0.75 full-time equivalents. All other things being equal, it will underestimate the number of children and staff (number of heads) in day care institutions as of 2015. In other words, this means that the number of children and staff is lower from 2015 and onwards, if compared with the number before 2015. In 2022, the norms was calculated at both the municipal level and the parent board level, while the calculation in 2023 is only at the municipal level.

Another important point that has to be considered in yearly comparison of the data is the difference in the number of published municipalities. A total of 78 municipalities have been published in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, it was possible to obtain sufficiently high data quality for 98 municipalities and therefore 98 municipalities was published in 2017. In summary, comparisons of the number of children and employees before 2015 with the numbers after 2015 should take into account a change in calculation of counting children and employees.

Coherence - cross domain

Statistics Denmark publishes an inventory on the rates on childcare. They can be found at Takster for børnepasning. An inventory of the number of institutions can also be found here. In addition, the day-care institutions' lunch arrangements and information on the contents of the lunch arrangements was first published in 2017. Statistics Denmark also makes similar statistics on leisure schemes, where the number of children and staff is calculated.

Coherence - internal

Both children and staff might appear in several registers over a year. Statistics Denmark ensures that there is no child or person appearing in two places at the same time.