Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
The regional breakdown of the Member States in the regional demographic tables is done under the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS. For more information on the versions in force, please see Eurostat NUTS.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
One of the following definitions is used by a country when explaining the statistical concepts:
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in a Member State at the reference time; for more information see the Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 1260/2013.
Legal residence population is composed of those persons who are entitled to be settled in the country at the reference date, either by holding the national citizenship or by other authorization issued by national authorities.
Registered residence population is composed of those persons who are listed on one or more registers owned by national authorities at the reference date. Each registered person shall be counted only once.
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.7. Reference area
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
3.8. Coverage - Time
For migration, data is available from 2008 – the first year Eurostat’s data collection under Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 took place.
For the other areas, longer time series are available.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year during which the migration occurred.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Statistics Denmark. Data are collected from the Central Population Register (CPR) with reference to law about Statistics Denmark.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not relevant.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Not relevant.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not relevant.
8.1. Release calendar
Data on migration transmitted to Eurostat in the UNIDEMO annual data collection is not published nationally.
For the other areas, statistics were published 12 February 2024. Release of statistics are announced in advance in release calendar available on Statistics Denmark’s website.
8.2. Release calendar access
Release calendar is available on Statistics Denmark’s website.
8.3. Release policy - user access
For releases by Statistics Denmark, all users have access to data at the same time. They can keep themselves informed about future release using the release calendar publicly available on Statistics Denmark website.
Migration data for Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 are only delivered to Eurostat.
Population statistics and statistics on vital events are published quarterly by Statistics Denmark.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Newsletter published on the day of release.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Annual publication about the population development is published in Danish in October. From 2025 the publication is no longer published.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Statistics with detailed breakdown available in Statistics Denmark’s StatBank.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not relevant.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
See the table 10.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
See the table 11.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
See the table 11.2.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of all kind use statistics on population and vital events. Government institutions, municipalities, organizations, think tanks are among the users.
Population data are also used widely as a foundation for many other statistics including statistics on labour market, education and income.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
There are no obvious user need that is not met with the statistics.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy and special cases (inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister, etc.).
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.1.1 Accuracy - unknown values
See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.2. Sampling error
See the table 13.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.3. Non-sampling error
See the table 13.3 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
14.1. Timeliness
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Breakdown by NUTS 2 and 3 available for population and vital events. Not for migration.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See the table 15.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The immigration data delivered to Eurostat is not published on a national level and should not be compared to national data due to the differences regarding duration of stay.
The emigration data delivered to Eurostat is not published on a national level and should not be compared to national data due to the differences regarding duration of stay.
The many international migrants from the Nordic countries does not need to have a residence permit and are subsequently not included in the residence permit statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
It is only in the migration tables under Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 that the 12 months criteria regarding duration of stay is used.
The tables for population use the usual resident population available from the Central Population Register.
No burden on respondents as data are collected from administrative data sources.
Special programs and calculations are required for the tables regarding migration.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data is not revised.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data is not revised.
18.1. Source data
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Statistics Denmark gets an updated version of the Central Population Register on a daily basis.
18.3. Data collection
Data collection is automatized and happen on a daily basis.
18.4. Data validation
Data are always carefully analysed before releases are made.
18.5. Data compilation
Not available.
18.6. Adjustment
Migration data in UNIDEMO is calculated in order to fulfil the 12 months criteria required by Eurostat.
All the other tables in UNIDEMO come from nationally published statistics based on the Central Population Register (CPR). They are always processed 30 days after the end of the reference period. The 30 day criteria is installed in order to include registrations that happen somewhat later than the day of occurrence.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
One of the following definitions is used by a country when explaining the statistical concepts:
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in a Member State at the reference time; for more information see the Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 1260/2013.
Legal residence population is composed of those persons who are entitled to be settled in the country at the reference date, either by holding the national citizenship or by other authorization issued by national authorities.
Registered residence population is composed of those persons who are listed on one or more registers owned by national authorities at the reference date. Each registered person shall be counted only once.
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Number of persons.
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year during which the migration occurred.
Overall accuracy and special cases (inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister, etc.).
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.1.1 Accuracy - unknown values
See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
Not available.
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Migration data for Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 are only delivered to Eurostat.
Population statistics and statistics on vital events are published quarterly by Statistics Denmark.
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
Breakdown by NUTS 2 and 3 available for population and vital events. Not for migration.
See the table 15.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
