Office for National Statistics (ONS)
The General Household Survey (GHS) is a multi-purpose continuous survey carried out by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which collects information on a range of topics from people living in private households in Great Britain. The survey started in 1971 and has been carried out continuously since then, except for breaks in 1997/98 (when the survey was reviewed) and 1999/2000 when the survey was re-developed.
The main aim is to collect data on a range of core topics, comprising: household and family information; household accommodation; consumer durables; employment; education; pensions; health and use of health services; smoking and drinking; family information including marriage, cohabitation and fertility; income; and demographic information about household members including migration. Around 8,500 households are interviewed each year.
The GHS is not a financial survey. The information collected about pensions relates to membership of different schemes and does not include any information on the size of contributions. Those in employment are asked about membership of occupational schemes, personal and stakeholder pensions and whether they receive employer contributions. Self employed people are asked about personal and stakeholder pensions. Others of working age who are not in employment are asked if they have a stakeholder pension. Total income from any pensions is also established.
The GHS has collected information on occupational pensions since 1981, although the questions were not asked every year. Questions on personal pensions were introduced in 1987 and questions on stakeholder pensions in 2001.
Latest results for the General Household Survey
This page last revised: Tuesday, 15 November 2005
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