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German data available from the European Social Survey (ESS)


Categories: GESIS-News

In early December, the German data from the European Social Survey (ESS) were published and can be downloaded from the ESS Data Portal. Since 2017, GESIS has been responsible for the implementation of the ESS in Germany.

Download the data

The ESS is one of the most important and renowned transnational survey programs in Europe. Currently, the ESS is celebrating its 20th birthday. Germany has participated in all 10 rounds, which have taken place every two years since 2002. The last survey round presented new challenges for Germany, as well as for all other participating countries. While a number of countries continued to collect data with interviewers, Germany decided not to use interviewers in the ESS for the first time due to the Corona pandemic. Instead, 24,000 randomly selected people across Germany received an invitation to participate in an online survey. Later, there was also the possibility to answer the questions on a paper questionnaire.

By the end of the field period at the end of last year, around 8,500 surveys had been conducted in Germany in this way. In addition to the extensive and varied core questionnaire of the ESS, the questionnaire also included a module on attitudes toward democracy and a module on digital social contacts at work and in the family. In addition, 20 questions were asked about the personal and social consequences of the Corona pandemic and belief in conspiracy theories.   

With the data from Germany, ESS data are now publicly available from a total of 25 countries, including the Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland or even Poland. In six of these countries, the data were self-administered, as in Germany.

Further information about the data publication and the European Social Survey