Family & households

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Family life in the UK is changing. One in four children under 15 no longer live with both biological parents, cohabitation is growing and children are leaving the parental home later. Families also contribute to the growing number of informal carers in the UK and there is increasing evidence of a ‘sandwich generation’ looking after both their children and their parents.

What data do Understanding Society collect?

Understanding Society is a study people within their households. Each year we interview all members of the household over the age of ten, and we ask parents additional questions for younger children. Following the same people over time, we create a holistic, dynamic picture of family life in the 21st century.

We also ask about how families interact with their wider family outside the household whether that is with grandparents caring for children or separated families taking care of their children together. The longitudinal design of the surveys allows research on family circumstances, relations, transitions and changes over time both within households and as people move out, for all kinds of reasons, and form households of their own.

What can you do with these data

Researchers can:

explore family circumstances, relationships, transitions, and changes over time, both within households and as individuals move out and form their own households
use the Family Matrix (xhhrel) data file to map familial relationships across the Study identifying connections between individuals and households
take advantage of the Study’s longitudinal design to track family generations over time, including data from the British Household Panel Survey (a subset of the Understanding Society sample), which dates back to 1991
use the Pregnancy and Early Childhood (PEACH) data file to investigate topics related to child development by using the rich information available on conditions before and after childbirth

You can find out how Understanding Society family and households data has already been used by looking in our publications library. This search shows all the results for family and households publications.

Tips for analysts

To find out about the variables in the Study use the index terms to search for political and social attitudes variables including Politics: elections and political support and behaviour. 

The Variable search helps you find the variables you need for your research and shows which data file and questionnaire module it is in.

The questionnaire modules show the areas covered in each wave of the Study and allow you to see the actual questions asked in the survey.

The Key variables highlight which variables will help you get started working with the political and social attitudes data.

Need help?

Visit our new user pathway to explore the data and online resources or contact the User Support forum if you have a question for the Study team.

Family formation

Professor Brienna Perelli-Harris talks about her research on partnership formation and cohabiting.

How do housework inequalities perpetuate across the generations?

Professor Lucinda Platt shares her research on whether gender attitudes and behaviours transfer down generations.

Blog: Mental health trajectory around conception is different for IVF parents

Couples who conceive ‘naturally’ have the opposite pattern to those who have fertility treatment

The mental load in seperated families

Dr Renee Luthra on the division of cognitive labour in seperated families with high levels of post-seperation contact.

Our Impact

Charitable foundation the Barrow Cadbury Trust has used Understanding Society for a financial inclusion report which shows a widening household finance gap, and falling financial wellbeing.

Research comparing the experiences of informal care givers in the UK and the Netherlands has found that providing care can lead to poorer mental health.

Find out more about the impact Understanding Society has on policy, and about how you can work with us to provide evidence for decision-makers.

Find out more Work with us