KOSTRA

For further explanations, please refer to the technical guide provided for the publication. Refer to "About the statistics" for further definition of specific public services provided.

The 422 municipalities are grouped in 16 groups according to the population and economical structure. These groups are based on a report from Audun Langørgen og Rolf Aaberge (2011): ”Gruppering av kommuner etter folkemengde og økonomiske rammebetingelser 2008. Rapport 2011/8”,Statistisk sentralbyrå.
In calculating the average for county municipalities, the municipalities are divided into 18 county municipalities in accordance with the standard for municipality classification. County authorities are divided into five groups. The grouping is identical with the division of the county authorities’ health regions/divisions, apart from Oslo municipality which has its own group.

Name: KOSTRA - Municipality-State-Reporting

Topic: Public sector

Division for Public Finance

Municipalities- Data is published for all the municipalities including the average figures for municipality groups, county municipalities and the country with and without Oslo.

County municipalities- Data is published for all the county municipalities, including average figures for the regions and the country with and without Oslo.

Boroughs- Data is published for all the boroughs including their average figures.

Municipal-State-Reporting (KOSTRA) key figures are published annually on the 15 March (unrevised figures) and 15 June (audited figures).

Not relevant

The basic material is stored.

KOSTRA (Municipal State Reporting) started up as a project in 1995 with the intention to provide relevant and up-to-date information about allocation of resources, priorities and meeting targets in municipalities and counties. The goal is to collect data in a co-ordinated way, and make the information flow a one time delivery per year for all steering-information needed by municipality. The number of municipalities and counties was gradually increased until the reporting year of 2001, and then all municipalities were included in the KOSTRA.

KOSTRA is based on electronic reporting of data from the municipalities, county authorities and data from other sources collected from within and outside Statistics Norway (SN). The data published in KOSTRA is based on consolidating data of different types, for example financial data, public service data, personnel data and population data.

KOSTRA is a national information system providing public information about the local government. The information about services provided by the municipalities and the use of public resources is registered, and comparisons made to provide decision makers at both the local and national level with relevant governing information about the local government. The information collected aims at providing basic information for research, analysis, planning and governing purposes.

KOSTRA ensures that the municipalities have an easy and effective way to report data to the central government. Data is only reported once, but is further reused for various purposes. All data is reported electronically to SN.

Statistics Norway publishes preliminary figures 15th March and audited figures 15th June yearly. The published figures comprises of consolidated data that is reported from the municipalities and data that is collected from other national registers outside SN.

Before the second publishing of data on the 15th of June, the municipalities have the opportunity to correct discrepancies or mistakes in their reported data. Figures published on the 15th of March can sometimes have discrepancies. Further quality checks and controls are carried out by SN to ensure that the reported data has minimal discrepancies.

Eventuell sammenheng mellom foreløpige og endelige tall, korttidsstatistikk og årsstatistikk innen samme emne, og sammenlignbarhet med annen statistikk innen samme område, se "Om statistikken" for det enkelte område.

Not relevant

Data published in KOSTRA is collected by SN and by other institutions. Read “About the statistics” published under each of KOSTRAs statistical areas to learn more about their sources.

The population consists of all municipalities, all county authorities, all inter-municipal companies, all municipal and county authorities companies and all boroughs in Oslo. For some statistics data is collected from individuals and for others from institutions.

Data from the municipalities and county municipalities is reported electronically to SN. The deadline for submitting reports for individual data and kindergartens is 15 January; 15 February for all the other data, and 15 May for reporting overseas data showing debts and outstanding claims.

The data reported through the web-portal are subjects for automatic controls embedded in the web-forms or in control programs for data files to ensure that there are no discrepancies in the files.

Municipalities have to submit corrected reports by 15 April, after the first publishing on 15 March. Further auditing and revision of data is done by SN in collaboration with the municipalities.

Data is published at different levels, as basic data and as key figures. The basic data shows absolute figures, whereas indicators show rational or proportional figures.

The data indicators show means for the municipality groups, county authorities and national figures. From 2008, the totals for basic figures for the municipalities that have not reported have been calculated. The mean figures are calculated based on the total of the estimated figures. For the years prior to 2008, the average figure does not include figures for the municipalities/county authorities that have not submitted reports. For certain indicators for example yes and no questions, the averages are not calculated. The national figures show figures inclusive and exclusive of Oslo. The accounts for Oslo show both the municipal and county authority functions, a fact which renders Oslo figures less comparable with other figures.

The method used to estimate national figures

Indicators are estimated based on the municipalities that have reported. The model used for estimating is based on the combination of the reported municipalities’ accounts, statistical variables and the population of each of the KOSTRA group. Refer to KOSTRA.

Indicators eliminated from estimation of national figures

i) Service areas for kindergartens, primary and lower secondary school and transport affairs have optimal reporting of service areas and personnel data

ii) Indicators for fees and user payments.

For service areas such as child welfare and municipal housing, certain data will be dotted if the calculation is based on less than three units. For service areas such as Nursing and care services, calculations of data which has less than five units will be dotted.

The publishing consists of figures from 1999, when all municipalities were presented in KOSTRA. From the year 2001, all the municipalities were obligated to report to KOSTRA. During the start of the project and currently, there have been changes in the statistical set up that has resulted into a disruption of some of the time series. Major disruption in the time series are mentioned under “About the statistics” under each statistical area. Slight adjustments are mentioned under the information button for various variables and indicators.

The controlling of the published preliminary figures March 15th, are only done by electronic controls. These controls do not find all the errors and there can be errors in the published preliminary figures March 15th. When publishing edited figures June 15th, controls are made by both Statistics Norway and the municipalities themselves.

The publication gives very detailed information, and the controls done by Statistics Norway do not cover all details, so errors can still occur.

Partial non-response occurs. The reporting of municipality accounts is based on the principle of total counting, but there will always be considerable defections when Statistics Norway publishes preliminary figures March 15th. The audited figures published the 15th of June by KOSTRA, are figures controlled by the municipalities and county municipalities themselves and Statistics Norway.

Publication of audited figures 15th of June produce some defections but considerable less than publication of the preliminary figures.

Dropout rate

Partial reduction in reported forms can be found in different areas of KOSTRA.
National figures published on the 15 of Mars are in most cases based on calculated data for the municipalities that have not reported.