Metadata


Adoptions


0. Registration entry for subjects


0.1 Name

Adoptions

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

Systematic tabulation of adoption statistics commenced in 1961. However, information on the number of adoptions exist from 1956. The Ministry of Justice grants permission for adoptions and sends a report on each case to Statistics Iceland. Tables are compiled from that information along with birth reports of the adoptee, as well as other information from the National Register of Persons on adoptive parents.

0.5 Users and application

Municipalities, institutions, companies, organisations and individuals.

0.6 Sources

Information on adoptees is received from the National Register of Persons.

0.7 Legal basis for official statistics

Act on Statistics Iceland no. 24/1913.
Act on civil law provision between Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden on marriage, adoption, and legal age no. 29/1931.
Act on National Register of Persons and civil registration no. 54/1962.
Act on adoption no. 130/1999.

0.8 Response burden


0.9 EEA and EU obligations


1. Contents


1.1 Description of content

All children with a parent domiciled in Iceland are counted. In published material the total number of adoptees is shown.

1.2 Statistical concepts

Adoption: The Ministry of Justice grants permission for adoption and sends a report on each case to the National Register of Persons.

Parents: The parents who previously had custody of the adopted child.

Adoptive parents: New parents of the adopted child.

Birth order: Indicates where in the order of siblings the adopted child is.

2. Time


2.1 Reference periods

Annual tables on adoption are compiled in June.

2.2 Process time

The process time is six months; from the beginning of the year until June.

2.3 Punctuality

Adoption statistics are published annually in the Statistical Yearbook of Iceland. Further information is available from the database of the Information Department of Statistics Iceland.

2.4 Frequency of releases

Adoption statistics are published once per year in the Statistical Yearbook of Iceland.

3. Reliability and security


3.1 Accuracy and reliability

Late reports are the only possible cause of errors to figures on adoption. In a review of delayed reports over the last five years it appeared that no birth report was missing.

3.2 Sources of errors

Errors in the National Register of Persons are mainly due to delays to the handing of adoption reports. In order to keep errors to a minimum five months are allowed during which reports can reach the National Register of Persons.

3.3 Measures on confidence limits/accuracy

Confidence limits are not calculated.

4. Comparison


4.1 Comparison between periods

Calculation of adoptions has been unchanged from the founding of the National Register of Persons in 1952

4.2 Comparison with other statistics


4.3 Coherence between preliminary and final statistics

No preliminary statistics are published for adoptions.

5. Access to information


5.1 Forms of dissemination

  • News, released on Statistics Iceland's website
  • Statistics, categorised statistical web tables
  • Statistical Series, Hagtíðindi
  • Statistical Yearbook of Iceland, Landshagir
  • Population statistics until 1980, in the series Hagskýrslur Íslands

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