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Citizenship Survey overview

What is the Citizenship Survey?

The Citizenship Survey collects information from adults in England and Wales about community and citizenship. It has been undertaken every two years since 2001.

It is a face to face interview of a regionally representative sample of 10,000 adults (16 and over), plus a 5,000 minority ethnic boost sample.

The survey is used to inform and monitor a range of Government policy areas. However it is a rich dataset that has far wider potential applications.

What topics does the survey cover?

Issues covered by the survey include:

  • Social networks - friends and family support
  • Feelings about neighbourhood and local community
  • Collective efficacy
  • Trust in institutions
  • Perceptions of racial and religious prejudice
  • Participation in local and national politics
  • Involvement in community
  • Formal and informal volunteering
  • Charitable giving
  • Employer supported volunteering
  • Discrimination in the workplace
  • Rights and responsibilities of citizens
  • Social capital

This wealth of data can be broken down by a range of demographic variables, including age, sex, race, religion, household composition etc.

How can I get hold of the data?

The full datasets are available to all users, free of charge through the University of Essex Data Archive: www.data-archive.ac.uk

Further information

More information can be obtained by contacting the Citizenship Survey team at citizenship.survey@communities.gsi.gov.uk 

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