Panel Study of Income Dynamics

The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID for short) is a representative repeat survey in the United States . It has been carried out by the University of Michigan since 1968 and records numerous socio-economic factors of families, sometimes over six generations.

The PSID collects data about the family as a whole and the individual family members. So far, high and constant response rates have been achieved. Since young adults who start their own families are also persecuted, the sample grew from an initial 4800 (1968), over 7000 (2001) and 9000 (2013) to over 11000 (2017). Originally created to investigate the dynamics of income and poverty, more and more areas of life were included over the course of five decades. These include wealth, health, philanthropy, childhood development and transition to adulthood.

The information collected is available free of charge to researchers around the world.

Comparable long-term studies are the Socio-Economic Panel in Germany or the British Household Panel Survey in Great Britain.

Web links

• Panel Study of Income Dynamics - On the part of the University of Michigan