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.
The purpose of the statistics International organisation and outsourcing is to shed light on significant globalization trends concerning the enterprises' global organization and the extent of international sourcing of business functions for the period 2021-2023. The statistics has also been collected for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016, and 2018-2020.
The statistics measures the number and share of enterprises outsourcing activities to other countries. International sourcing in this context refers to the movement out of Denmark of activities currently performed in-house by the enterprise itself in Denmark. International sourcing may be to other enterprises within the enterprise group or to other (external) enterprises abroad. International sourcing does not include the expansion of activities where no existing activities are moved. In addition to breakdowns by industry, the survey provides data on the types of business functions being sourced. This may be the enterprises' core business function (typically corresponding to the industry of the enterprise) or a support function. Furthermore, the survey provides results on the geographical destinations of international sourcing, as well as the number of jobs being moved. These are broken down by high-skilled and other jobs, in addition to industry. Then, the motives for international sourcing are covered, e.g. reduction of labour costs or reduced delivery times. Lastly, the survey also includes questions concerning enterprises' international purchasing and selling of goods and services directly from/to enterprises abroad, and the importance of recent events on the (re)organisation of global value chains.
3.2. Classification system
The Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) Rev.2 is used.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The activities of market producers within the NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N.
Enterprise: Usually corresponding to the legal unit, e.g. limited-liability corporations, sole traders, partnerships, etc. In some cases several legal units which are run as one entity are gathered into one enterprise.
Data treatment of complex enterprise:
Sample frame based on enterprises: No.
Surveying all legal units belonging to a complex enterprise: Yes.
Surveying all legal units within the scope of SBS belonging to a complex enterprise: Yes.
Surveying only representative units belonging to the complex enterprise: No.
Other criteria used: No criteria.
Comment: No comments.
Consolidation method:
Consolidation carried out by the NSI: Yes.
Consolidation carried out by responding enterprise/legal unit(s): No.
Other criteria used: No criteria.
Comment: No comments.
3.6. Statistical population
The population is enterprises with 50 or more employees, in market-based activities outside the primary sector.
3.7. Reference area
Denmark
3.8. Coverage - Time
2021-2023
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of jobs, number of enterprises, share of enterprises.
The survey covers the period 2021-2023 concerning international sourcing. In relation to the number of employees by business functions within the Danish enterprise, the information relates to end of 2023. Questions related to international direct trade with enterprises abroad refer to the calendar year 2023. The survey is being carried out every three years.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Starting with reference year 2021 two new regulations currently form the legal basis of GVC:
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/918 of 13 June 2022 laying down technical specifications of data requirements for the topic Global Value Chains pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
In the compilation of the global value chain statistics the confidentiality policy of Statistics Denmark is followed. More information about Information security and data confidentiality can be found on Statistics Denmark`s webpage: Information security and data confidentiality.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
There have to be at least three units in a cell for the data to be published. If one or two of the units in a group accounts for majority of economic activity, the figures for the group are not declared and are simply suppressed (primary confidentiality). The secondary confidentiality is used to reach the desired protection for risky cells, it is necessary to suppress additional non-risky cells.
7.2.1. Confidentiality processing
With the aggregate levels required for GVC data, there was no need for applying primary and secondary confidentiality.
8.1. Release calendar
The publication date appears in the release calendar. The date is confirmed in the weeks before.
8.2. Release calendar access
The Release Calendar is available on Statistics Denmark's website.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Statistics are always published at 8:00 a.m. at the day announced in the release calendar. No one outside of Statistics Denmark can access the statistics before they are published. Theme publications etc. may be published at other times of the day. The National Statistician can decide that such publications may be released before their official publication time, e.g. to the media and other stakeholders.
Documentation of concepts and methodology is available in English on Statistics Denmark website Quality management.
11.1. Quality assurance
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.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The statistics is considered relevant, as it describes a phenomenon of interest to the Danish economy and business sector. The quality and reliability is believed to be high, especially concerning central variables as share of enterprises with international outsourcing and number of jobs having been outsourced. Due to the guidance of respondents and a comprehensive quality checking and re-contacting of the respondents in order to obtain correct responses. For a range of the variables collected, these can be compared to corresponding variables in the previous survey, and the statistics may be compared internationally when results from the survey in which several other European countries participate, are published. Furthermore the statistics may be compared to statistics on Accounts for non-agricultural industries and General enterprise statistics, for the activities and size-classes of enterprises included in the survey.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The purpose of the statistics is to shed light on enterprises' international outsourcing and engagement in global value chains. The primary users of the statistics are ministries, researchers and business organizations, who need information on the influence and importance of globalization on the Danish business sector. The statistics is used for research project and analyses where globalization and outsourcing are topics.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Users have expressed their satisfaction with the focus on aspects of globalization not previously addressed, namely the outsourcing of jobs. The statistics have been used for a number of research projects as well as for analyses from ministries and business organizations.
12.3. Completeness
Not relevant for these statistics.
Confidentiality flags may apply for very detailed breakdowns.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The statistics is estimated to have a high degree of precision for the main variables.
13.2. Sampling error
As the survey is a census-survey among the enterprises in the activities and size classes specified (private sector, with more than 50 employees), no sampling errors occurs.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Population is defined by the industry/size of the enterprises as registered in the Business Register.
14.1. Timeliness
Results are published within 9 months after the end of the reference period. Publications are
released on time, as stated in the release calendar.
14.2. Punctuality
These statistics are published without delay, with reference to the announced time of publication in the release calendar. Data have been transmitted to Eurostat within the deadlines.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data from the survey may be compared to the data collected in the surveys from 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2021. Furthermore it will be possible to compare the results of the Danish survey to those from a range of other EU-countries. Data may also be compared to data from statistics on Accounts for non-agricultural industries and General enterprise statistics, for the activities and size-classes which are covered. A comparable survey is being carried out in a number of EU countries, and comparable results will be published by Eurostat in 2025/2026.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The statistics has previously been collected for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016 and 2021-2023. As a range of data has been collected in all three surveys, these data may be compared.
15.2.1. Time series
In Denmark, outsourcing data is available since 2007 for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016 and 2021-2023.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The statistics is based on same population within the non-agricultural private sector as the statistics of Accounts for non-agricultural industries and General enterprise statistics, except for the cut-off of 50 or more employees. Data from the statistics for enterprises with 50 or more employees may therefore be compared to the statistics on international outsourcing.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The final statistical dataset has a high degree of internal consistency. Internal consistency has been a focal point throughout the work of data validation.
No measure of response burden is available.
17.1. 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.
17.2. Data revision - practice
For larger method shifts or detection of errors, the figures may be revised.
18.1. Source data
Data for these statistics are collected via questionnaires from a population of app. 5.000 respondents with 50 or more employees, calculated as persons. Data has been collected via a digital survey, and has been supplied with background information from the Business Statistical Register. The responses are checked electronically as well as manually.
Information on number of employees by business function is obtained from another source, namely monthly administrative income data for employer-employee relationships.
18.1.1. Data sources overview
In addition to data collected via online survey and background data from from the Business Statistical Register, we use number of employees by business function from another high quality, reliable source, namely Labour statistics.
Information on number of employees by business function is obtained from monthly administrative income data for employer-employee relationships. The advantage is that this is not a survey.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The survey has so far been carried out for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016, 2018- 2020, and 2021-2023. In the future, the survey will be carried out every three years.
18.3. Data collection
Data has been collected via a digital survey, and has been supplied with background information from the Business Statistical Register. Online form and instructions can be found on the information page.
18.4. Data validation
Via checking of the data app. 1.200 enterprises have been contacted in order to obtain consistent and correct data. Data validation of the collected material has been carried out, with the focus particularly on the consistency between the answers to the various questions in the survey, as well as on the probability of reported values – e.g. the number of outsourced jobs. Based on the data validation process, contact has been made with a number of companies with a view to obtaining a consistent and fair report.
18.5. Data compilation
Data collected via a digital survey has been supplied with background information from the Business Statistical Register and information on employment from Labour statistics. Since most of the questions in the survey are qualitative questions, no imputation methods are employed for the current period.
18.6. Adjustment
More information can be obtained from Statistics Denmark.
No further comments
The purpose of the statistics International organisation and outsourcing is to shed light on significant globalization trends concerning the enterprises' global organization and the extent of international sourcing of business functions for the period 2021-2023. The statistics has also been collected for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016, and 2018-2020.
The statistics measures the number and share of enterprises outsourcing activities to other countries. International sourcing in this context refers to the movement out of Denmark of activities currently performed in-house by the enterprise itself in Denmark. International sourcing may be to other enterprises within the enterprise group or to other (external) enterprises abroad. International sourcing does not include the expansion of activities where no existing activities are moved. In addition to breakdowns by industry, the survey provides data on the types of business functions being sourced. This may be the enterprises' core business function (typically corresponding to the industry of the enterprise) or a support function. Furthermore, the survey provides results on the geographical destinations of international sourcing, as well as the number of jobs being moved. These are broken down by high-skilled and other jobs, in addition to industry. Then, the motives for international sourcing are covered, e.g. reduction of labour costs or reduced delivery times. Lastly, the survey also includes questions concerning enterprises' international purchasing and selling of goods and services directly from/to enterprises abroad, and the importance of recent events on the (re)organisation of global value chains.
Enterprise: Usually corresponding to the legal unit, e.g. limited-liability corporations, sole traders, partnerships, etc. In some cases several legal units which are run as one entity are gathered into one enterprise.
Data treatment of complex enterprise:
Sample frame based on enterprises: No.
Surveying all legal units belonging to a complex enterprise: Yes.
Surveying all legal units within the scope of SBS belonging to a complex enterprise: Yes.
Surveying only representative units belonging to the complex enterprise: No.
Other criteria used: No criteria.
Comment: No comments.
Consolidation method:
Consolidation carried out by the NSI: Yes.
Consolidation carried out by responding enterprise/legal unit(s): No.
Other criteria used: No criteria.
Comment: No comments.
The population is enterprises with 50 or more employees, in market-based activities outside the primary sector.
Denmark
The survey covers the period 2021-2023 concerning international sourcing. In relation to the number of employees by business functions within the Danish enterprise, the information relates to end of 2023. Questions related to international direct trade with enterprises abroad refer to the calendar year 2023. The survey is being carried out every three years.
The statistics is estimated to have a high degree of precision for the main variables.
Number of jobs, number of enterprises, share of enterprises.
Data collected via a digital survey has been supplied with background information from the Business Statistical Register and information on employment from Labour statistics. Since most of the questions in the survey are qualitative questions, no imputation methods are employed for the current period.
Data for these statistics are collected via questionnaires from a population of app. 5.000 respondents with 50 or more employees, calculated as persons. Data has been collected via a digital survey, and has been supplied with background information from the Business Statistical Register. The responses are checked electronically as well as manually.
Information on number of employees by business function is obtained from another source, namely monthly administrative income data for employer-employee relationships.
18.1.1. Data sources overview
In addition to data collected via online survey and background data from from the Business Statistical Register, we use number of employees by business function from another high quality, reliable source, namely Labour statistics.
Information on number of employees by business function is obtained from monthly administrative income data for employer-employee relationships. The advantage is that this is not a survey.
Every three years.
Results are published within 9 months after the end of the reference period. Publications are
released on time, as stated in the release calendar.
Data from the survey may be compared to the data collected in the surveys from 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2021. Furthermore it will be possible to compare the results of the Danish survey to those from a range of other EU-countries. Data may also be compared to data from statistics on Accounts for non-agricultural industries and General enterprise statistics, for the activities and size-classes which are covered. A comparable survey is being carried out in a number of EU countries, and comparable results will be published by Eurostat in 2025/2026.
The statistics has previously been collected for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016 and 2021-2023. As a range of data has been collected in all three surveys, these data may be compared.
15.2.1. Time series
In Denmark, outsourcing data is available since 2007 for the periods 2001-2006, 2009-2011, 2014-2016 and 2021-2023.
