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At the centre of FReDA's data collection efforts are people in early to middle adulthood; the phase of life when they typically find permanent life partners, start families and clarify questions about work-life balance. FReDA surveys several samples.
A representative sample was drawn from all people aged 18 to 49 living in Germany in 2020: the FReDA-GGS sample. This sample will be surveyed twice a year from 2021 onwards. The respondents of this sample only drop out of the study when they have exceeded the age of 55, no longer wish to be surveyed or have passed away. Additional refresher samples are drawn regularly to replace those who have dropped out of the study due to age or other reasons.
In addition, FReDA will survey the FReDA-pairfam sample from 2022 onwards. These are people who were interviewed in the pairfam panel study until 2021. It consists of four birth cohorts: people born in 1971-73, 1981-83, 1991-93 or 2001-2003 are interviewed, as well as their now adult children. Survey data of these cohorts from the pairfam surveys have been available since 2008/2009.
Beginning in 2022 (2nd FReDA wave), the FReDA-GGS sample and the FReDA-pairfam sample will be surveyed together. We refer to respondents who are part of one of the two samples as "anchor persons".
Graphic FReDA Samples Source: © FReDA
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The partners of all respondents from both samples (i.e. partners of all anchor persons) are also invited to participate in a survey. They are interviewed by means of a separate questionnaire. This questionnaire reflects some of the information also provided by the anchors. This makes dyadic analyses possible, for example with regard to shared or different desires to having children or ideas about a fair division of household chores.
Former partners of the anchor persons are also interviewed in the first year after a separation in order to gather information on the cause and progression of the separation.
The FReDA survey programme participates in the internationally coordinated Generations and Gender Survey (GGS). Every three years, namely 2021 (1st FReDA wave), 2024 (4th FReDA wave) and 2027 (7th FReDA wave), the respective internationally coordinated GGS questionnaires will be used to interview the anchor persons of the FReDA-GGS sample. The data collected in this way can thus be compared with many other European and non-European countries.
In the years between two GGS surveys, the surveys use their own FReDA questionnaire. In it, many of the questions from the GGS programme are repeated in order to be able to continuously follow developments over time across all years. However, many questions are also asked that were used in the pairfam survey programme until 2021. This also serves the purpose of being able to examine developments – in this case developments that can go back to 2008 by linking the FReDA data with the data from pairfam.
In addition, there are open modules in the FReDA survey programme: These are sections in the questionnaire whose content is not designed by those responsible for FReDA. Instead, researchers are given the opportunity to submit their own questions and thus have FReDA collect data that support their own research. Calls for proposals are held regularly in order to receive suggestions for questions for the open modules. The FReDA Advisory Board selects those that will be included in the questionnaires from the questions submitted.
Respondents are invited to complete an online questionnaire on their own. Alternatively, respondents are offered the opportunity to fill out a paper questionnaire, which they receive by post and can return free of charge.
Each year in FReDA corresponds to one survey wave. One wave of the FReDA panel consists of two corresponding sub-waves: In the spring and autumn of each year, the respondents fill out a questionnaire, whereby only a small part of the questionnaire is included in both surveys, but the majority is only included in one of the two surveys. Both surveys together make up the complete survey wave with all the questions planned for that year. However, they can also be evaluated independently or combined with other partial waves for analyses.
FReDA releases the complete dataset from the first wave of the survey. We trace the process of data collection and summarize the most important facts and figures for you.
Selection made: From the numerous submissions of research questions or modules to be included in the autumn survey of the fifth wave 2025, the FReDA committees selected three modules.
Every three years, FReDA is part of the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS). This makes international comparative analyses possible.
FReDA continues the surveys of the pairfam study so that these cohorts can also continue to be analysed.
FReDA also asks the partners of all anchor persons to participate in the study. This makes dyadic analyses possible.
Beginning in 2022, the sample from the German Family Panel pairfam will be part of the FReDA study. The surveying of the pairfam cohort can continue.
Are you interested in using FReDA data in the classroom or to conduct research with the latest findings? Learn how you can request data access – you can find the contact address here.
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