How can I determine which variables are comparable across years?

If the variables have the same root name then they are comparable across waves.

What else is Understanding Society doing?

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Autumn Budget 2025 supports ‘most vulnerable’

Living standards think tank used our data to assess government economic policy

11 May 2026

Registration now open – Biosocial Conference 2026: combining biological and social data

Understanding Society is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its Biosocial Conference 2026.

11 May 2026

Image of the front cover of Insights - Barriers to Opportunity

Barriers to opportunity for children and young people

Understanding Society’s Insights report for this year sets out what research using our data tells us about children’s development and young people’s life chances.

27 Apr 2026

Researcher explaining work at a public engagement event.

Call for new fellows open

We're now accepting applications for the Understanding Society fellowship programme

16 Apr 2026

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ESRC Institute for Social and Economic Research University of Essex

The Economic and Social Research Council is the primary funder of the study
The Study is led by a team at the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex.

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