Series abstract
The Community Life Survey was first commissioned by the Cabinet Office in 2012-2013. It is an annual household survey conducted with adults resident in England, covering a range of topics including measures that are key to understanding society and local communities. These include volunteering, charitable giving, neighbourhood, civic engagement, social action and subjective well-being. The survey incorporates a small number of priority measures from the Citizenship Survey, which ran from 2001-2011. These measures were incorporated in the Community Life Survey so that trends in these issues could continue to be tracked over time.
Data access
GN 33475 | Community Life Surveys, 2012/2013-
GN 33476 | Community Life Surveys, 2012/13- : Special Licence Access
Getting started
How can I find out about the datasets – variables, population, sample size etc.?
You can find links to the datasets in the DATA ACCESS section above. When you follow the link to a dataset you will be taken to its catalogue record which contains the following information:
- Download button: this is located near the top right of the catalogue record.
- A brief overview of the data: who collected the data, the main topics, the population covered, how the data were collected, the levels of geography and much more.
- Documentation:scroll down the catalogue record to find the documentation. All datasets come with documentation supplied by the data producer, normally in the form of searchable pdfs. The documentation varies from survey to survey but will normally include a user guide, the questionnaire and a technical report. These documents should tell you:
- how the data were collected and processed into its current format
- which topics were covered and the wording of the questions used
- how each variable was coded and how derived variables were constructed
- the name(s) of the weighting variables, how the weight(s) were constructed and when to use each one if there are more than one
- Related studies and Publications using the data: see which surveys are related, and how other researchers have used the data.
Read more...
What format are the data in and where can I download them from?
Most survey data may be downloaded as SPSS, Stata or tab-delimited files. There is a download button near the top right of each catalogue record. Most datasets can be downloaded after you login to your UK Data Service account. See our Access pages for more information about how to access data.
Read more...
How do I get started with analysing survey data?
See our Use data pages for more advice about getting started with analyses. These pages contain advice and training; guides about datasets, topics and methods and software including SPSS and Stata; information about how others have used the data and how to cite datasets. See also our Events pages for courses and webinars about how to find, use and manage data.
Read more...
FAQ
What is the Community Life Survey?
The Community Life Survey was first commissioned by the Cabinet Office in 2012-2013. It is an annual household survey of people resident in England aged 16 and over. The objectives of the survey are to provide robust, nationally representative data on behaviours and attitudes within communities to inform and direct policy and action in these areas. The survey covers a range of topics, including measures that are key to understanding society and local communities such as volunteering, charitable giving, neighbourhood, civic engagement, social action and subjective well-being.
Read more...
Which years of the Community Life Survey are available?
Community Life Survey data are available from 2012-2013.
Read more...
What population is covered by the Community Life Survey?
People aged 16 and over in English households.
Read more...
How do I find out which questions/variables are included?
Variable lists and PDF user guides (including questionnaires) are freely available on the catalogue page of each dataset. To find a dataset’s catalogue page, follow the link to the dataset from this page under DATA ACCESS or from the results pages in our database search engine Discover.
Read more...
What topics are covered in this survey?
The Community Life Survey covers topics such as volunteering, charitable giving, local action, community empowerment, and well-being. See the documentation on each survey’s catalogue page for more information.
Read more...
How can I obtain statistics and tables from the Community Life Survey?
Results and tables are available online from the Cabinet Office web pages.
Read more...
What must I do to use the Community Life Survey for teaching?
See our teaching pages for practical information, exemplars, and tips for using UK Data Service data in teaching, including:
- ideas for using data in teaching
- practical advice on sharing data with students
- teaching resources
- teaching case studies
Read more...
External links