Households’ payments in kindergartens, rates of change, 15 August 2012, January

Published on regional and national level.

The survey is done once a year, each January, and results are published about a month after the survey period.

Not relevant

The material is stored in Unix.

The main purpose of this statistics is to describe the development in the households' payments in public and private kindergartens. The survey is a part of the Consumer Price Index and was established in 1985. The survey measures the kindergarten payments per 15.January every year and is included in the January Consumer Price Index. Before 2013 the survey was bi-annually, per January and August. As of 2004 the aggregated rates of change are weighted, as opposed to previous surveys. From 2007, data for public kindergartens will be gathered electronically from the municipalities through KOSTRA , and as of january 2010 there is approximately a full count of all municipalities.

The survey is used to follow the development in the kindergarten fees on a regional- and national level. The statistics are primarily used as a sub-index of the Consumer Price Index .

The change rates are incorporated into the Consumer Price Index and are based on the same material as the report sent to the Ministry of Education and Research.

The Statistics Act of June 16, 1989 number 54 , §§2-1, 2-2 and 2-3

Not relevant

The survey contains all of Norway's municipalities. The municipalities were asked regarding the following:

• The number of hours per week for full and part time offers
• Household's monthly kindergarten fees for full and part time offers
• Price reduction for second and third child
• Possible additional fees
• Number of months of payment
• Possible price reductions

In addition, the survey contains approximately 250 private kindergartens, which are asked to give the same information for full time offers.

Questionnaire and electronic reporting.

From January 2007, data for public kindergartens will be reported electronically through KOSTRA , which means that all the municipalities will be included in the survey. The selection of private kindergartens was done through random sampling, after stratifying the population by geographical areas.

Both the municipality and the private kindergartens report twice a year, with deadlines in January and August. The municipalities report electronically while the private kindergartens report by questionnaires. Letters of reminder are sent out and telephone calls/e-mails are made if necessary.

The data from both the public and public kindergartens are controlled in SAS program. The data is checked with earlier reported data to find possible deviation. Strong deviations are checked either through Internet or per telephone.

The index for yearly payments including additional costs for children over three years is calculated for public and private kindergartens. The index for public kindergartens is based on both full and part time offers while the private kindergarten index is based on full time offers. The kindergarten fees both in public and private kindergartens are measured in accordance to the municipalities' or kindergartens own payment system. The weighted index is also computed for children in both public and private kindergartens.

Data collected from firms and households are subject to secrecy and are to be kept or destroyed in a secure manner. Any use of the data must be in accordance with the rules set out by the Norwegian Data Inspectorate.

Rates of change for public kindergartens from 1992 to 2006 are based on a sample of 109 municipalities. From August 2007, the rates of change will be based on data from all municipalities. The questionnaires were also revised from January 2007 with additional information, for example additional fees.