ALLBUS 2021 - Sociodemographic Standard Variables (KonsortSWD)

ALLBUS (GGSS - the German General Social Survey) is a biennial trend survey based on random samples of the German population. Established in 1980, its mission is to monitor attitudes, behavior, and social change in Germany. Each ALLBUS cross-sectional survey consists of one or two main question modules covering changing topics, a range of supplementary questions and a core module providing detailed demographic information. Additionally, data on the interview and the interviewers are provided as well. Key topics generally follow a 10-year replication cycle, many individual indicators and item batteries are replicated at shorter intervals. The present data set contains socio-demographic variables from the ALLBUS 2021, which were harmonized to the standards developed as part of the KonsortSWD sub-project “Harmonized Variables” (Schneider et al., 2023). While there are already established recommendations for the formulation of socio-demographic questionnaire items (e.g. the “Demographic Standards” by Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik et al., 2016), there were no such standards at the variable level. The KonsortSWD project closes this gap and establishes 32 standard variables for 19 socio-demographic characteristics contained in this dataset.