Data of Survey Year 2014

Microdata of the fifth survey year in 2014 comprise 10.323 participants of the following samples:

  • Panel participants originating from B 1996 who have been re-surveyed in 2014, birth cohorts 1911-1956 (n=887)
  • Panel participants originating from B 2002 who have been re-surveyed in 2014, birth cohorts 1917-1962 (n=866)
  • Panel participants originating from B 2008 who have been re-surveyed in 2014, birth cohorts 1923-1968 (n=2.569)
  • A new Base Sample 2014 (B 2014); a register sample of the population living in private households, birth cohorts 1929-1974, disproportionably stratified according to age (40-54, 55-69, 70-85 years old), sex and geographical location (East/West) (n=6.001, among these 5.798 of German nationality)

As in previous waves, respondents were asked in detail about their living situation. Information about the following subject areas was surveyed:

  • employment and retirement
  • partnership, family and intergenerational relationship
  • social networks and support
  • leisure activities and voluntary work
  • housing situation and mobility
  • economic situation and economic behaviour
  • subjective well-being
  • health and health behaviour
  • need of assistance and need of care
  • attitudes, norms and values

Two objective measurements are applied to indicate respondents' cognitive and physical capacity: the digit-symbol test to assess perceptual speed and a lung functioning test using a spirometer.

Compared to previous waves more questions regarding emotions in personal relationships, the follow-up of intimate relationships, aspects of post-retirement work, health and health behavior, social support and exclusion and a number of additional psychological scales were asked.

More information about data is available in the documentation 2014 and on the website of the DEAS project.

DEAS microdata is available free of charge to scientific researchers for non-profitable purposes. For reasons of data protection, signing a data distribution contract is required prior to obtaining the data.

The application form for usage of the DEAS data is here Application Form.

Data of the survey year 2014 is available in Stata- and SPSS-format. After signing the data distribution contract, the data can be downloaded directly from the internal download area free of charge.