Methods
Register on Population Statistics
The basis for the population statistics is Statistics Greenlands Population register. Information in this register is retrieved from the Danish civil registration system (CPR).
Status statements relate to persons who resided in the country per January 1st. The residence criterion is described by the Danish Home Office in 'Guidance on registration of residence in population registers and civil registration'.
Delays in reporting
Births, deaths, movings, etc. are supposed to be reported no later than 5 days after an incident. But some reports are delayed. When calculating the statistics we take this into account and await the delayed reports. There is no time-limit for reporting or correcting information in the system.
Migrations
Information on each incident is reported by the municipal authority, who records information when it comes to their knowledge. Not all people who move are aware of deadlines and their duty to report. When we look at how much time elapses between an incident and when it is reported, we can see that about 60 percent of all immigration and emigration were recorded within the first week.
Number of days between incident and report. 2006
|
|
Immigrants |
Emigrants |
|
90 pct. |
37 days |
31 days |
|
95 pct. |
70 days |
51 days |
|
99 pct. |
226 days |
197 days |
To provide current statistics to our users, we only wait one calendar month after the status date.
To make it simple, migrations are counted only if there are less than 5 years (1,825 days) between the incident and reporting..
Information from the Danish CPR-system
The Population Statistics Register holds only selected information from the CPR system. It includes no information on a person’s attachment to the national church or his name.
The received basic information are sought for errors. Information on sex and age are derived directly from the person number, which only in isolated cases are erroneous. These errors are typically corrected within the child's first year.
The locality code is extracted from the register address information. There is generally more uncertainty associated with this information, because there are differences in how the addresses are entered in the registers. From 2009 a location code has been defined to every address, and is used unchanged in the processing and dissemination of statistics. The location code is defined by Asiaq (www.asiaq.gl) and an unofficial rule of thumb indicates that "a locality may not be further apart than one can live and have daily work within the locality."
Concepts
Geographic divisions
January 1st 2009 the country's existing 18 municipalities were merged into the current four municipalities. Given the continued need for statistics on the old municipalities, we use the term 'districts' for the old municipalities. Population statistics are also presented even more detailed, namely on inhabited localities.
Previously we also calculated the group: 'outside of the municipal division' to which we ascribed civilians in the defense areas, defined by a Danish-American treaty in 1951, and weather stations. Kangerlussuaq were subjected Sisimiut municipality in 2001.
Although the municipal amalgamation was implemented 2 years ago, there remain several challenges for the Population Statistics - especially back in time.
Tables in our Statbank (http://bank.stat.gl ) show the existing territorial division - also back in time. Hence Kangerlussuaq has been compiled as part of Qeqqata Municipality of Sisimiut district from 1977 onwards.
By August 1st 2010, there is still some uncertainty on historic localities. Population statistics include therefore the term 'other locations'.
Asiaqs register is updated regularly, but the information must be used by the municipals before the Population Statistic Register can use them.
Strong family ties
To have strong family ties to Greenland is defined as a person who’s parents were born in Greenland.
Gross reproduction rate (BRR)
The gross reproduction rate (BRR) shows how many live-born girls 1,000 women wil give birth to during the reproductive age. These are from 15 to 49 years. If the 1,000 women give birth in accordance with experience in the period of calculations, and no woman dies before the age of 50.
Parents
In the public registers, information on a person’s legal parents is stored. This information is deficient in relation to new-born, because unmarried fathers must first acknowledge paternity. The same applies to persons born before 1960. In the vital statistics on births we use information on biological parents.
Place of birth
Most tables cross tabulates the population by birthplace. There are two categories: ‘Born in Greenland’ and ‘Born outside Greenland’. For a small number of persons the place of birth is unknown. In many tables we assume those to be born outside Greenland.
General fertility rate
Number of live born per 1,000 women in the ages 15-49 years.
Mean population
Mean population is calculated as a simple average of two successive years.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the measure that tells the average remaining lifespan for an individual in a given age group. It is assumed that mortality at each age will correspond to the mortality in the period for which the calculations are made.
Neonatal mortality
Number of death in the first four weeks of life per 1,000 live born.
Netreproduction rate (NRR)
The expected number of live born girls, born during their mother’s reproductive period from a generation of 1,000 women who give birth and die in accordance with experience gained during the basis period for the calculations.
Perinatal mortality
Number of still born and death in the first week of life per 1,000 born.
Total fertility rate (TFR)
Total fertility rate (TFR) is a measure that tells how many children an 'artificial' generation of 1,000 women will give birth to, through their childbearing ages (15-49 years), provided that none of these women die before the age of 50 and provided, that women bear children in accordance with the experience during the timeframe for the calculations.
Infant mortality
Number of death in the first year of life per 1,000 live born.
Standardized rates
When comparing two populations different age-distributions may cause misleading results. This effect can be eliminated by choosing the same age distribution for the two populations. To reduce the influence of random variations on calendar calculations we often use a 5-year period as a whole.