Welcome to the UK Data Service
Trusted access and training to use the UK's largest collection of economic, population and social research data for teaching, learning and public benefit.
The UK Data Service will be closed on Monday 4 May 2026 for early May bank holiday. Online services will run unattended during this period.
Highlights
We're shortlisted in two categories at the British Data Awards 2026!
We’re pleased to announce that the UK Data Service has been shortlisted in the “Data Partnership of the Year” and “Not-For-Profit of the Year” categories for the British Data Awards 2026! The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Brewery in London on 20 May.
New data linkage and access initiative announced for Longitudinal Population Studies
We’re pleased to announce a new project to help maximise the visibility and long‑term value of data from Longitudinal Population Studies. The initiative will enable UK-based Longitudinal Population Studies to apply to join UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) and/or the UK Data Service at no cost.
Key takeaways from the Crime Surveys User Conference 2026
On 11 March, we were pleased to host the 2026 Crime Surveys User Conference in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Scottish Government. The conference featured updates from data producers and an insightful mix of presentations from researchers who have used data from UK crime surveys.
Upcoming training and events
Our impact
Gender Equality Index UK case study
This new Impact Case Study looks at the Gender Equality Index UK: the first index to systematically measure and analyse the socioeconomic outcomes of women and men across all 372 local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK data infrastructure: challenges, opportunities — and a cornerstone
Professor Alison Park, from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), discusses the importance of UK social science data infrastructures and outlines some of the opportunities and challenges they face.
10,000 data collections: nearly six decades of data impact
This year, the UK Data Service reached an incredible milestone — over 10,000 data collections are now discoverable through our Data Catalogue. But what is the journey to this milestone? What does it matter? And how does it set the stage for the next chapter of data innovation and impact?
Watch our data skills training webinars
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Watch and learn all the latest data skills from our free webinars, training and video tutorials.
UK Data Service essentials: Introduction, finding and accessing data
This interactive session is ideal for anyone interested in social research and keen to explore the wide range of resources offered by the UK Data Service.
Introduction to secondary analysis for qualitative and quantitative data
Secondary analysis offers a great option for dissertation students who are looking to gain experience working with data but who have limited abilities to go out into the field or would like to study a hard-to-reach population.
Ignite discovery: elevate your research with data deposits
Deposit your research data free, in our ESRC funded data catalogue.
Latest news
Latest data collections and new editions 1 May 2026
An update of our latest data releases New datasets released SN 9553 Crime Survey for England and Wales, 2023- 2024: Teaching Dataset SN 9550 Hong Kong BN(O) Migrants Panel Survey, Wave 1, 2024 SN 9546 Global Perceptions: How 18-34-Year-Olds See the UK and the World, 2025 SN 9549 British Social Attitudes Survey Experiment, 2025 SN […]
Dissertation Award 2026: Introducing the judges and guidance on how to enter
The UK Data Service Dissertation Award 2026 is open for entries and we are delighted to announce the judges. Each year, our judging panel includes experts from the UK Data Service and senior academic staff. This year Dr. Alex Bryson, (Professor of Quantitative Social Science at UCL’s Social Research Institute) and Dr Roxanne Connelly (Senior […]
The UK Data Service at CESSDA’s 50th Anniversary Conference
CESSDA (the Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives) will celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year with a conference in Bergen, Norway, between 15 June – 18 June. The conference will mark the organisation’s five decades of collaboration, innovation, and service to the European social science research community. It will also bring together its Service […]
Who makes us special?
Our podcast series, The Experts’ Expert, showcases some of the unique work we do to enable evidence-led research for public benefit.
