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COVID-19

Data that gives context to the pandemic

Key data

Please note that these pages are a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Whilst much of the data specific to COVID-19 is not yet widely available, a number of studies may provide useful data to investigate its societal and social impact. These include surveys that explore topics such as population health, employment and levels of deprivation, as well as geographic differences both inside and outside the UK.

The majority of the data described are known as 'raw', 'primary' or 'source' data in the sense that they represent information that has been collected 'first-hand'; they are original data sources which may then be used for 'secondary' analysis by researchers not involved in the data collection process. The majority of these data are anonymised because they describe the attitudes, behaviour, circumstances and personal details of the individuals being studied. These types of data are heavily used by the academic and government research communities.

The UK Data Service provides access to the following primary data sources:

Study name	Coverage	Topics
Annual Population Survey 2004-ongoing; individual level data; UK	2004-ongoing; individual level data; UK	socio-economic status employment workplace ethnicity education health
Census aggregate data	1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011: England, Wales, and Scotland 1991, 2001, 2011: Northern Ireland	age general health limiting long-term illness provision of care employment method of travel to work ethnic group accommodation type tenure central heating number of rooms number of persons per room number of bedrooms number of persons per bedroom household size deprivation by dimensions occupancy rating (overcrowding) population density 2011 UK Townsend Deprivation Scores (available in dkan)
Census boundary data	1981 to 2011	digitised boundary datasets and geographic look-up tables corresponding to the census geography of the UK allows for analysis of spatial relationships of data
Census flow data	1981-2001 England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland	commuting (by age, sex and ns-sec) method of travel to work car or van availability household density
Census microdata	1991, 2001 and 2011	limiting-long term illness number of carers economic activity socio-economic classification employment age general health
2011 Census Ad Hoc Household Composition (Age Groups) Safeguarded Tables	2011 England and Wales	age
English Housing Survey: Fuel Poverty Dataset, 2017	2017, England Individuals, families, households	energy prices fuels energy consumption gas consumption
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)	1998- continuing (longitudinal) England	health disability retirement social networks households
European Quality of Life Survey	2003-continuing Europe	community facilities neighbourhood perceptions housing facilities standard of living general health chronic conditions access to doctor
Eurostat New Cronos	1960- continuing country and regional level data 25 European Union countries, plus some coverage of others, including Japan, United States	public health indicators health and safety health care self-perceived health illness causes of death living conditions and welfare household characteristics material deprivation environment of the dwelling
Family Resources Survey	1993-ongoing; household level data; Great Britain and Northern Ireland	income benefits tax payments and national insurance contributions housing costs including council tax demographics
Health Surveys: Health Survey for England (HSE) Welsh Health Survey (WHS) Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) Northern Ireland Health Survey (previously the Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey)	1991- continuing (repeated cross-section)	physiological measures service use cardiovascular disease physical exercise work and leisure dietary habits
Labour Force Survey	1975-1983 biennial Annually from 1984 Quarterly from 1992 UK	work history hours worked earnings (1992+) education health/disability demographics
Living Costs and Food Survey	2001-ongoing; household level data; UK	bank accounts and charges business records financial resources and support household expenditure socio-economic status
METER: UK Household Electricity and Activity Survey, 2016-2019	2016 – 2019 (latest publication) ongoing	household electricity readings with simultaneous activity records of household members demographic information
Millennium Cohort Study	2000 – ongoing	family background mental health and wellbeing housing employment income verbal, language and numeric ability
National Child Development Study, 1958	1958 – ongoing	physical and educational development economic circumstances employment family life health behaviour wellbeing social participation attitudes
Next Steps (previously the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE1))	Every year 2004 – 2010 2015 – ongoing	education and employment economic circumstances family life physical and emotional health and wellbeing social participation attitudes
OECD Health Statistics	1980- continuing country level data Multi-nation	health mortality hospitals health care diseases
OECD Income Distribution and Poverty	1974 to 2017 country level data Multi-nation	poverty inequality age breakdowns health care diseases
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey	1990-ongoing; individuals/families/households in Great Britain; repeated cross-sectional survey topics vary by month	economic activity travel health health behaviour quality of life travel
Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity	1993 – ongoing (repeated cross-section) Britain	alcohol, drug and tobacco use alcohol dependence physical complaints use of services for homeless people income and state benefits, employment demographic variables stays in psychiatric hospitals
Understanding Society	Annually 2009 – continuing (longitudinal) UK household	cohabitation employment quality of life material deprivation measures disability and caring depression sleep behaviour access to public services media/computer/news usage car ownership
World Development indicators	1960- continuing country level data Multi-nation	economic activity poverty labour force structure migration health population density transportation
1970 British Cohort Study	1970 – continuing Britain	health physical, educational and social development

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