Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

The data for these statistics come from a single administrative register system, and Statistics Denmark receives one total register extract containing all the victims of criminal offences reported to the police in Denmark. However, it is evident from victimization surveys that the statistics on reported criminal offences underestimate the actual number of crimes, as it is far from all crimes which are reported to the police (hidden criminality).

Sampling error

There is no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled on the basis of registers.

Non-sampling error

A general problem in respect of the statistics on victims of reported criminal offences is hidden criminality, which concerns crimes which do not come to the knowledge of the police. It is difficult to give an exact figure for the level of hidden criminality, because it depends among other things on the nature of the crime and the inclination to report crimes.

The Ministry of Justice and others regularly conduct victimization surveys, where the respondents are asked whether an experienced criminal offence was reported to the police or not. From these surveys it appears that e.g. 55 percentage of violence incidents in 2022 were not reported to the police. The latest victimization survey can be found here: Offerrapport fra Justitsministeriet (2005-2022) (in Danish only).

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 accuracy of the statistics on victims of reported criminal offences is considered to be good. The data come from a single administrative register system, and Statistics Denmark receives one total register extract containing all the victims of criminal offences reported to the police in Denmark.

A general problem in respect of the statistics on victims of reported criminal offences is hidden criminality, which concerns crimes which do not come to the knowledge of the police. It is difficult to give an exact figure for the level of hidden criminality, because it depends among other things on the nature of the crime and the inclination to report crimes. The Ministry of Justice and others regularly conduct victimization surveys, where the respondents are asked whether an experienced criminal offence was reported to the police or not. From these surveys it appears that e.g. 55 percentage of violence incidents in 2021 were not reported to the police. The latest victimization survey can be found here: Offerrapport fra Justitsministeriet (2005-2022) (in Danish only).

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

Only final figures are published and are not later revised.