European social survey (ESS)

The European Social Survey (the ESS) is an academically-driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. Now preparing for its fifth round, the survey covers more than 30 nations and employs the most rigorous methodologies. This repeat cross-sectional survey, is conducted biennially in over 30 nations. The survey is conducted biennially. 

The questionnaire includes two main sections, each consisting of approximately 120 items; a 'core' module which remains relatively constant from round to round, plus two or more 'rotating' modules, repeated at intervals. The core module aims to monitor change and continuity in a wide range of social variables, including media use; social and public trust; political interest and participation; socio-political orientations; governance and efficacy; moral; political and social values; social exclusion, national, ethnic and religious allegiances; well-being; health and security; human values; demographics and socio-economics.
 
Data is available and manipulable on the ESS website through Nesstar and for download in SAS, SPSS, and Stata formats. 
 
 
Data creator

European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS ERIC)

Distributor
European Social Survey European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS ERIC)
Subjects
Demography
Ethnicity
Health
Immigration
Media
Political Science
Public opinion polls
Religion
Social issues
Geography
International
Geographic coverage

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine

Periodicity
Biennial
Mode of data collecton

Face to face interviews

Unit of observation
Individual
Notes

You will have to register to access the data.

Funding agency

The project is funded jointly by the European Commission, the European Science Foundation and academic funding bodies in each participating country.

Related data
South African social attitudes survey, 2014
Russian ESS7, 2014
Bibliography

Access status
Open
Access conditions and restrictions

ESS restrictions: http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/data/conditions_of_use.html 

Download data
File
ESS website