Metadata


Population 1 July


0. Registration entry for subjects


0.1 Name

Population 1 July

0.2 Subject area

Population

0.3 Responsible authority; office, division, person etc.

Ómar Harðarson
Guðjón Hauksson
Brynjólfur Sigurjónsson
Hagstofa Íslands
omar.hardarson@hagstofa.is
gudjon.hauksson@hagstofa.is
brynjolfur.sigurjonsson@hagstofa.is

0.4 Purpose and history

The purpose of publishing the mid-year population is mainly to simplify the calculation and comparison of rates where population is involved. An example of this is GDP per capita, which is based on the population as stands at mid-year.

From 1841 until 1960 the mean population was calculated from censuses and annual parish reports. From 1960 until 1996 the population for 1 July was derived annually from the National Register of Persons according to how it stood on 1 December, using the formula:

Mean population year x = population 1 Dec. year x-1* (5/12) + population 1. Dec year x * (7/12)

From 1997 a copy of the National Register of Persons has been taken as it stands 1 July, and updated later as delayed information relating to individuals has reached it. The register gives information on population development and composition.

0.5 Users and application

Ministries, municipalities, institutions, companies, organisations and individuals.

0.6 Sources

Censuses, annual parish reports and the National Register of Persons of Statistics Iceland, in which information on deaths, births, migration, marriages, divorces, changes in nationality and adoption is registered.

0.7 Legal basis for official statistics

Act on Statistics Iceland no. 24/1913.
Act on the National Register of Persons and civil registration, no. 54/1962.

0.8 Response burden


0.9 EEA and EU obligations


1. Contents


1.1 Description of content

The mid-year population is used in the calculation of rates.

From the National Register of Persons of 1 July information is gathered on the total population domiciled in Iceland (according to law no. 5 on domicile from 1990). The following factors appear in the published material:

  • Population by sex and age
  • Marital status

1.2 Statistical concepts

Marital status: In the tables, two factors from the National Register of Persons, legal partnerships and consensual union, are the basis of deciding marital status.

2. Time


2.1 Reference periods

The National Register of Persons is used as it stands on 1 July of every year.

2.2 Process time

The National Register of Persons is used as it stands at the end of 1 July, and the results are processed during February of the following year.

2.3 Punctuality

Statistics on mid-year population are published in the June issue of the Statistical Series of the following year. Further information is available from the database of the Information Department of Statistics Iceland.

2.4 Frequency of releases

Population figures from the National Register of Persons 1 July are released once per year, published in the June issue of the Statistical Series of the year following the reference year.

3. Reliability and security


3.1 Accuracy and reliability

There are three causes of errors to the population statistics in the 1 July National Register of Persons: Late notifications of change of residence, late death certificates and late birth reports. In a survey of delayed reports over the last four years it emerged that the most uncertainty is caused by late notifications of change of residence, due to which the population is overestimated by around 210 in the National Register of Persons on the 1 July. Late death certificates cause the population in the National Register of Persons on 1 July to be overestimated by around 5 persons, while late birth reports cause the population to be underestimated by about one individual every two years. Error to the total number in the National Register of Persons on 1 July is thus on average (for the years 1997-2000) around 205 persons (about 0.7% error).

3.2 Sources of errors

Errors in the National Register of Persons mainly occur due to delays in notifications of change of residence, birth reports and death certificates. In order to keep errors to a minimum the National Register of Persons of 1 July is corrected around 6 months back in time, ie. six months are allowed to pass for late birth reports and death certificates to reach the register. On the other hand, in processing address changes the day on which the change is noted in the National Register of Persons is used.

3.3 Measures on confidence limits/accuracy

Confidence limits are not calculated.

4. Comparison


4.1 Comparison between periods

From the year 1841 until 1960 the mean population was derived from censuses and annual parish reports. From 1960 until 1996 the population on 1 July was calculated annually from the National Register of Persons as it stood on 1 December. From 1997 the National Register of Persons has been used as it stands on 1 July of each year.

4.2 Comparison with other statistics


4.3 Coherence between preliminary and final statistics

No preliminary statistics are released for the population on 1 July.

5. Access to information


5.1 Forms of dissemination

  • Website of Statistics Iceland
  • Press releases of Statistics Iceland
  • Statistical Yearbook of Iceland
  • Statistical Series, the monthly publication of Statistics Iceland
  • Population statistics until 1980, in the series Hagskýrslur Íslands.
  • Hagskinna. Icelandic historical statistics.

5.2 Basic data; storage and usability

Data stored in digital format by the Population Statistics Department of Statistics Iceland. No access is provided to data relating to individuals, though it is possible to have it especially processed.

5.3 Reports


5.4 Other information

Further information is available from the Population Statistics Department of Statistics Iceland.
© Hagstofa �slands, �ann 27-1-2009