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Accuracy and reliability

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Government Finances, Economic Statistics
Stefan Koch Olsen
+45 51 23 92 17

sto@dst.dk

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Financial accounts for general government

The quarterly financial accounts are based on a number of sources that may be influenced by a certain degree of inaccuracy, which may affect the quarterly financial accounts. Because of the consistency checks and the data confrontations carried out, the influence of the inaccuracy of the sources is, however, reduced.

In principle, it is not possible to measure the level of inaccuracy. However, the net lending/net borrowing across the general government sector, which are calculated before the final balancing is carried out, are comparable with the same measure in the non-financial accounts. The differences can be regarded as a measure of accuracy for the national accounts as a whole.

Overall accuracy

Because of the number of consistency checks, data confrontations and comparisons with the non-financial accounts facilitated by the system of accounts, the overall accuracy is considered to be relatively high.

Sampling error

Not relevant for these statistics.

Non-sampling error

Not relevant for these statistics.

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 is primarily based un upstream data and the quality is defined as high on all instruments. There is however some uncertainty regarding the instrument other accounts receivable/payable (F.8) as this includes timing issues and is more difficult to calculate precisely.

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

The quarterly figures are being continuous revised and are not final before the equivalent annual figures are final, approximately three years after publication.