The British Household Panel Survey Rhys Davies. Introduction The BHPS is an annual survey consisting of a nationally representative sample of about 5,500.

The British Household Panel Survey

Rhys Davies

Introduction• The BHPS is an annual survey consisting of a nationally

representative sample of about 5,500 households (10,000 interviewed individuals) recruited in 1991.

• Respondents are re-interviewed each successive year• Those who leave the originally sampled household to form

new households are followed up – all adult members in the new household are interviewed

• New members joining sample households become eligible for interview

• Children aged 11-15 complete a short interview (since 1994), full as they reach the age of 16– Spare time, computer use, family relationships, health behaviour,

perceptions of self, attitudes, paid work

Welsh Boost• A major development at Wave 9 (1999) was the recruitment

of two additional samples to the BHPS in Scotland and Wales• Increase in Welsh sample size from 572 in 1998 to 3000+ in

1999. – Welsh sample remains 2,500 in 2008

• Welsh Youth Panel correspondingly increased from 58 in 1999 to 288 in 2000. – Welsh sample remains at 240 in 2008

• Facilitates:– Independent country level analysis– Comparisons with England post devolution

BHPS Sample SizesEngland Wales Scotland Total

Main Youth Main Youth Main Youth Main Youth1991 8,774 533 957 10,2641992 8,406 510 927 9,8451993 8,215 491 894 9,6001994 8,099 675 509 35 873 60 9,481 7701995 7,915 658 491 34 843 54 9,249 7461996 8,134 655 480 39 823 53 9,438 7471997 9,303 627 573 43 1,024 49 10,937 7191998 9,128 808 572 55 928 75 10,684 9431999 8,977 801 3,043 58 3,383 77 15,413 9362000 8,883 820 2,993 288 3,474 303 15,424 1,4142001 8,790 781 2,941 306 3,366 308 15,244 1,4072002 7,563 703 2,802 275 3,037 276 13,619 1,2722003 7,430 637 2,783 279 2,929 273 13,402 1,2152004 7,366 606 2,705 265 2,767 254 13,168 1,1592005 7,517 604 2,696 290 2,755 265 12,991 1,1602006 7,467 603 2,710 267 2,679 238 12,883 1,1142007 7,301 528 2,621 252 2,566 229 12,566 1,0152008 7,137 536 2,571 240 2,473 219 12,181 995

Questionnaire Content• The core questionnaire covers a broad range of social science

and policy interests including:– household composition – housing conditions – residential mobility – education and training – health and the usage of health services – labour market behaviour – socio-economic values – income from employment, benefits and pensions

• Variable component has included questions on wealth and assets, additional health measures, ageing, retirement and quality of life, children and parenting, neighbourhood and social networks.

Variable Component1999 (W9) Initial conditions e.g. place of birth, ethnicity, qualifications etc. Health

(SF36), minimum wage, national identity, Welsh language use (for Wales only), and views of devolution and Europe.

2000 (W10) Wealth, assets and debt. Youth questionnaire added.

2001 (W11) Marital and fertility history/ lifetime employment status history

2002 (W12) Children and parenting, non-resident parents, aspirations of young people for the future, family support, crime, computer use

2003 (W13) Neighbourhood, expectations of relationships and marriage in the future, national identity

2004 (W14) Health (SF36), height and weight, newspaper readership, work stress

2005 (W15) Wealth, assets and debt

2006 (W16) Ageing, retirement, family support, health, and quality of life

2007 (W17) Children and parenting, non-resident parents, aspirations of young people for the future, crime, computer use

2008 (W18) Neighbourhood, expectations of relationships and marriage in the future, national identity

Job Satisfaction in Wales5

.25

.35

.45

.55

.6M

ea

n s

atis

fact

ion

va

lue

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11Wave

London and south east Rest of England

Wales scotland

Source: British Household Panel Survey

Mean Overall Job Satisfaction

Regional Differences in Job Satisfaction: Why are the Welsh so Happy at Work? Jones and Sloane (2004), WELMERC Discussion Paper

Poverty Persistence Wales Outer GB LESE

1999-2000

Headcount 1999 22.1 20.0 13.7

Exited poverty in 2000 12.8 9.1 7.0

Remained in poverty in 2000 9.4 10.9 6.7

2005-2006

Headcount 2005 18.9 17.0 12.3

Exited poverty in 2006 9.6 8.7 5.3

Remained in poverty in 2006 9.3 8.3 7.0

1999-2006

Headcount 1999 22.1 20.0 13.7

Exited poverty by 2006 17.5 16.1 11.8

Remained in poverty by 2006 4.7 3.9 2.0

An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in Wales (2011), Chapter 5 Report prepared on behalf of the Equality and Human Rights Commission

Young People and Housing• Research on behalf of Joseph Rowntree Foundation• Construct 'housing pathways' of young people aged 18-30

between 1999 and 2009 using 10 Waves of BHPS• Sequences of tenure, household type, marital status and

economic activity were created for those aged 16-21 in 1999• Individuals assigned to statistically similar pathways• Draft typology

– Saving while at home– Renting professionals– Dual income, no kids, owners– Couples with children– Waiting for social housing– Lone parents– Settling down early– Families in social housing– Unsettled pathways

Migration Among the EmployedPost Move Region

North East

North West Y&H

East Mids

West Mids East London

South East

South West Wales Scot All

Pre Move Region

North East 664 8 12 5 2 0 3 4 5 2 1 706

North West 4 1,188 11 10 8 0 3 7 2 19 4 1,256

Y&H 9 9 1,053 26 3 1 5 5 2 4 2 1,119

East Midlands 1 4 5 988 2 5 6 18 5 5 2 1,041

West Midlands 1 6 0 11 1,059 3 7 13 5 8 2 1,115

Eastern 1 0 0 5 3 440 3 17 4 1 1 475

London 2 11 6 11 3 17 1,101 98 17 5 5 1,276

South East 3 5 10 19 16 20 50 2,215 26 9 4 2,377

South West 2 4 3 8 10 1 12 16 1,039 9 3 1,107

Wales 0 9 1 4 6 0 2 2 4 2,424 4 2,456

Scotland 4 12 5 9 1 1 8 11 3 0 3,145 3,199

All 691 1,256 1,106 1,096 1,113 488 1,200 2,406 1,112 2,486 3,173 16,127

Migration and Union Membership

Union Density

Relative Density

Likelihood of Being a Union

Member

Union density decreased 27.3% 1.1% 39.0%

No change 27.0% ref. ref.

Union density increased 24.7% -8.4% -5.0%

All (n=16,127) 26.9%

Data Availability• The data from each wave is available within a year of the

completion of fieldwork. • Available at UK Data Archive

– Standard Access (SN: 5151)• Countries, Government Office Regions

– Conditional Access – Medium Geographies (SN: 6027-6033)

• LA , LEAs, PCT, TTWA, Rural/Urban, PC

– Special Licence – Detail Geographies• CAS Wards (SN: 6135)• Lower Super Output Areas in Wales (SN: 6136)

• Secure Data Service (SN: 6340)– National Grid Reference (Northings/Eastings)

BHPS and Understanding Society• Understanding Society is the new UK Household Longitudinal Study.• Sample of around 40,000 households followed since 2009• The study both replaces and incorporates the popular BHPS – join Wave 2 • Wave 1 data collected January 2009-January 2011

– EUL (SN 6614) and SL (6931) Versions Available at Data Archive – Secure Data Service for Northings/Eastings (SN 6676)

• Main innovations– General population sample (28,000 - 29,000 households) – Innovation Panel sample (1,500 households) – Ethnic minority boost sample (1,000 adult individuals in each of five main ethnic

minority groups) – British Household Panel Study sample (8,400 households)

– Consent to link administrative data on health, education, economic circumstances