Birth cohort studies

Learn more about our internationally-renowned cohort studies.

What are the birth cohort studies?

The cohort studies are a type of longitudinal research. They follow people's entire life course so it's possible to build a complete picture of what it's like to grow up, live and work in the UK. By comparing data from different cohort studies, we can chart social change across different generations and start to untangle the reasons behind it. The depth and breadth of these datasets make them one of the most valuable sources of information for social research, policy and practice.

Each birth cohort study follows the lives of a group of people all born at the same point in time. Every few years, the cohort members are surveyed in order to collect information on a variety of different things, such as physical and mental health, family circumstances, parenting, education, and employment.

British birth cohort studies

The internationally-renowned British birth cohort studies are the oldest of their kind in the world. There are four national birth cohort studies in the UK: 1946, 1958, 1970, and 2000-01. With three of these studies based at CLS, IOE houses more British birth cohort studies than any other academic institution.

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How do I access the data?

Data from the studies is available free of charge to researchers from the UK Data Service (UKDS). The UKDS provides instructions for accessing the data on its website, or you can visit the CLS website for information on accessing the data from "Next Steps" and the 1958, 1970 and Millennium Cohort studies. 

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