European Values Study

Where is Europe heading? This is one of the main questions of the European Values Study (EVS) - the most comprehensive research project on human values in Europe. It is a large-scale, cross-national, and longitudinal survey research program on how Europeans think about family, work, religion, politics and society. Repeated every nine years in an increasing number of countries, the survey provides insights into the ideas, beliefs, preferences, attitudes, values, and opinions of citizens all over Europe.

The research program was initiated by the European Value System Study Group (EVSSG) in the late 1970s and has emerged as a well-established network of social and political scientists aiming at high standards in data creation and processing. It is now carried out under the responsibility of the EVS Foundation. From 1981 to 2017 five waves of survey were conducted in European and other countries. These surveys explore value differences, similarities, and value changes among citizens of the EVS member countries. There is an overview of participating countries in EVS waves provided. 

To facilitate time series analysis, the EVS Trend File 1981-2017 has been constructed. For comparisons on an international level, this data file can easily be combined with the World Values Surveys Trend File 1981-2022. The resulting Integrated Values Surveys 1981-2022 will cover surveys conducted in 118 countries/regions.