Comparability

Comparability - geographical

The statistics on disability measures are not governed by any EU regulation or compiled according to other international guidelines. The data included in these statistics are defined based on Danish legislation, making direct international comparisons unfeasible. Similar statistics are compiled in many other countries.

Comparability over time

The statistics have been compiled since 2023. Data for 2022 and 2023 were based on the Social Services Act (serviceloven). From January 1, 2024, the initiation of new interventions is reported under the Child’s Act (barnets lov). Ongoing interventions continue under the legal basis of the original decision and only transition to the Child’s Act when a decision is made with the legal basis under the Child’s Act, cf. § 213 of the Child’s Act.

The time series is best compared with previously published data in the disability area. These data can be found in the tables RESHJMTR and RESLED, which are available in StatBank Denmark.

These tables are based on summarized information reported annually by the municipalities.

However, it should be noted that there is effectively a data break in some time series. There is a data break between The Social Resource Accounts (Den Sociale Ressourceopgørelse) and the present publication due to differences in calculation methods. The most significant difference is that the data in the present disability statistics are compiled at the personal identification number (CPR) level. Another difference is that data for the statistics on disability compensating measures given to children and young people are reported by the municipality responsible for the individual measures (administrative municipality), and not the paying municipality, as is the case in The Social Resource Accounts. This may cause differences in the number of measures reported for each municipality.

Coherence - cross domain

These statistics on disability services for children and youth can be linked to statistics on Services to adults with disability and marginalized adults. This connection arises because children and youth with chronic or long-term physical or mental disabilities may transition into adulthood and be eligible for selected services typically provided to disabled or marginalized adults.

Coherence - internal

Data reported from various sources typically adhere to standardized reporting forms. However, when changes are made to these forms, discrepancies can arise because IT suppliers may not implement the changes simultaneously. During transitional periods, responses from the old reporting forms are often "mapped" to correspond with new categories. This mapping process helps maintain consistency and continuity in the reported data despite changes in reporting formats.