Statistical presentation

Data description

The commuting statistics are published annually, providing information about commuters’ place of residence, workplace, and the distance between them. The statistics are based on the Register-based Labour Force Statistics (RAS). RAS has information on the population’s primary attachment to the labour market on the last working day of November. It includes, among other things, information on employed persons’ residential and workplace addresses, which together form the basis for the commuting statistics.

In the StatBank, the commuting statistics can be distributed on place of residence, workplace, commuting distance, gender, industry (DB07), and socio-economic status. Since RAS includes a range of additional information such as age, origin, and education, various background characteristics can be linked to the commuting statistics as needed. Read more in the documentation of RAS.

Classification system

The commuting statistic is made on the basis of the Register-Based Labour Force Statistic (RAS). In RAS a short reference period are used - the last week of November. This point of time is chosen partly because information about wage earner jobs historically has referred to the situation at the end of November, and partly because December is an atypical month from a employment related point of view. RAS is compiled according to the international guidelines from ILO (International Labour Organization) for classification of the population’s affiliation to the labour market.

Sector coverage

The statistic covers all sectors.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Commuter: A person who is employed on a workplace address that is different from the residential address. In the statistic commuters is thereby defined as employed persons who has a commuting distance between workplace and residence that is different from zero. Employed persons whose workplace and residential address are the same will have a commuting distance that is zero and will therefore not be defined as commuters. Employed persons without commuting distance are included in tables in the Statbank with the value "no commuting".

Commuting distance: The shortest road distance from the employed persons residential address and workplace address. The return journey is not included in the commuting distance.

Statistical unit

The statistical unit is persons and distance in km.

Statistical population

The population is residents who are defined as employed in the Register-based Labour Force Statistics (RAS) at the end of November.

Reference area

Denmark.

Time coverage

The statistics can be compiled from 1980, and data are available in the StatBank from 1993 onwards (i.e., at the end of November 1992). Commuting distances have been calculated from 2006 (i.e., at the end of November 2005).

Base period

Not relevant for these statistics.

Unit of measure

Number of persons and distance in km.

Reference period

RAS is counted on the last workday of November - i.e. the 29th. of November 2024.

Frequency of dissemination

The statistic is published annually.

Legal acts and other agreements

§6 in Law about Statistics Denmark. Statistik](https://www.dst.dk/da/OmDS/strategi-og-kvalitet/kvalitet-for-statistikproduktion/lovgivning).Statistik](https://www.dst.dk/da/OmDS/strategi-og-kvalitet/kvalitet-for-statistikproduktion/lovgivning).

Cost and burden

RAS is exclusively compiled on the basis of administrative and statistical registers. Therefore there is no response burden.

Comment

More information about commuting can be located on the subject page. More information about the data foundation on the subject page for employment.