Topics of SOEP-Core¶
The topics of the SOEP questionnaires and the various modules they contain can be grouped into 11 areas. Some of the modules deal with aspects of life that tend to change from one year to the next, and are therefore repeated annually, while other modules are repeated at intervals of several years. How often a module is repeated is stated in the “module” column of our topic tables. Some SOEP modules are also adapted in different ways to the different questionnaires. The questions in the “Big Five” personality traits module, for instance, are formulated differently in the mother-child questionnaires than they are in the individual questionnaire.
Overview of Modules in Different SOEP Questionnaires
Affective well-being |
x |
x |
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Big Five personality traits |
x |
x |
x |
Birth history |
x |
x |
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Childcare |
x |
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Educational aspirations |
x |
x |
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Health of child |
x |
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Height and weight of child |
x |
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Height and weight |
x |
x |
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Language ability German / native language |
x |
x |
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Leisure and activities (with child) |
x |
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Life satisfaction |
x |
x |
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Language use |
x |
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Locus of control |
x |
x |
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Family background |
x |
x |
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Parental interest in school performance |
x |
x |
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Allowance |
x |
x |
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Political orientation |
x |
x |
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Risk aversion |
x |
x |
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State of health |
x |
x |
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Strengths and difficulties |
|||
Temperament |
x |
SOEP-Core Topics¶
Note
By clicking on the topic icons you are forwarded to the Topic Tree on paneldata.org. There you can click your way through various submodules and variables.
Demography and Population
The demography and population topic provides information including the birth date and sex of each household member (including children) and of each interviewer; the place and history of births in the household; household size; and relationships among household members.
Work and Employment
The work and employment modules provide information on diverse employment-related topics including the respondent’s first job, further training, changes in working conditions following parenthood, part-time work, and unemployment. Modules cover not only objective information such as working hours but also subjective perceptions of working conditions and feelings about work.
Income, Taxes, and Social Security
The income, taxes, and social security modules collect wide-ranging financial information from earnings and spending to public benefits, pensions, inheritances, taxes, and debts. They also cover assets such as real estate and other property.
Family and Social Networks
As a household study, the SOEP offers rich information on family and social relationships and how these connections change in different stages of life. The modules dealing with family and social networks cover the entire life cycle beginning with pregnancy and childbirth and continuing through parenthood, family formation, friendships, marriage, divorce, and death, and also provide a wealth of additional information on important life events.
Health and Care
The modules on health and care cover doctor visits, sports and fitness, alcohol consumption, health insurance, health status, and grip strength, both on respondents themselves and on other individuals in the household, such as children and deceased household members.
Home, Amenities, and Contributions of Private HH
The housing, amenities, and household expenses modules provide wide-ranging information on everyday life including the type of dwelling and whether it is a rental property or owner-occupied; expenditures on personal hygiene, transportation, and vacations; and the division of household labor.
Education and Qualification
Education is one of the cornerstones of society today. The education, training, and qualifications modules provide extensive information on educational attainment and outcomes, the level of completed education and training, reasons for not completing education or training, educational goals, and much more, along with data on children’s skill development, for instance, whether they are able to speak in full sentences or use scissors.
Attitudes, Values, and Personality
The attitudes, values, and personality modules provide extensive information on respondents’ personality traits, political orientations, concerns, satisfaction with different aspects of life, willingness to take risks, and much more.
Time Use and Environmental Behavior
The modules on time use and environmental behavior give information on time commitments, free time, and time planning as well as environmental awareness, for instance, the use of public transport and different energy sources, as well as what respondents think about renewable energies.
Integration, Migration, Transnationalization
Migration and forced migration are changing German society. The SOEP offers diverse migration samples and numerous specific migration questions that allow researchers to study migration-related questions in detail. The modules on integration, migration, and transnationalization provide data on migration histories, discrimination, inter-ethnic contact, education, cultural integration, transnational relations, identification with Germany, and the intention to stay in Germany.
Survey Methodology
Survey methodology modules offer diverse variables on imputation, weighting, SOEP-Core fieldwork, identifiers, interview methods, survey modes, and information about the respondent’s exit from the survey.
Important documents regarding this Topic are available here
Last change: Oct 19, 2026