The Office for National Statistics carries out the General Household Survey (GHS), a multi-purpose sample survey on approximately 9,000 households and about 16,000 adults aged 16 and over. Data are collected on five core topics, namely education, employment, health, housing, and population and family information. Other areas such as leisure, household burglary, smoking and drinking are covered periodically.
Data cover Great Britain and some regional tabulations are available.
The Survey began in 1971 and the five core topics have been included continuously. Special topics are added and changed from year to year. The Survey began reporting on a financial-year basis from 1988, instead of a calendar year, and data are published annually.
Sponsor:
ONS, Dept of Health, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Dept for Work and Pensions, Dept for Education and Skills, Scottish Executive and other government departments.
Contractor:
Social Survey Division, ONS.
Size of data collection:
15640 households
Linked surveys/sources:
Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey
Method:
Computer-assisted personal interviewing
Status:
Ongoing
Frequency of collection or compilation:
Continuously
Reference period:
Financial year
Timeliness:
Year data first available:
1971
Year of latest available data:
2003
History of data collection / breaks and discontinuities:
No data collection in 1997/8 and 1999/2000 financial years. Moved to computer-assisted interviewing in 1994.
Main areas for which data is collected:
National: England Scotland Wales
Extent of geographical coverage:
Sampled
Spatial units of data collection:
Postcode sector
Smallest spatial unit for which data are made available:
Commonly available units for which aggregate data are made available:
Households, families, individuals
Standard geographical classification or coding systems used:
Government Office Region (GOR), NHS Regional Office area
Descriptive summary of geographical coverage and geographic referencing system:
