FAQ

Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe – SHARE is a European longitudinal survey that studies the health, economic and social conditions and retirement of people aged 50 and over. The same people are contacted again over time to observe how their living conditions change.

Participants are identified through sampling procedures designed to reliably represent the reference population. For this reason, a selected person cannot be replaced by a volunteer.

No. Participation is reserved for the people selected according to the survey’s sampling design and, where applicable, their cohabiting partners.

No. Participation is entirely voluntary. Everyone is free to decide whether to take part.

The duration may vary depending on the respondent’s personal and family situation and on the sections of the questionnaire that apply. The interviewer provides all the necessary information before starting.

The interview collects information on health, work, retirement, economic conditions, family, social relationships and quality of life.

SHARE is a longitudinal study: repeating some questions makes it possible to observe how the living conditions of the same participants change over time.

The information is handled in compliance with personal data protection legislation and used exclusively for scientific purposes. The data made available to researchers do not contain information that directly identifies participants.

Interviews are conducted by specially trained interviewers. All staff operate in accordance with the procedures defined by SHARE-ERIC and with personal data protection rules.

Interviewers can be identified by an ID badge and an introduction letter. If in doubt, you can contact the agency in charge of the survey using the toll-free number and e-mail address shown in the invitation letter. You can also ask the interviewer to show their ID badge.

Yes. You can stop the interview at any time or choose not to answer individual questions.

The participation of people with different experiences and conditions is essential to describe population ageing and its consequences realistically.

The information is used for scientific research and to better understand the changes associated with ageing. The results help to study topics such as health, welfare, work, pensions, family relationships and inequality.

For questions about the current survey, please use the contact details given in the invitation letter. The agency in charge and its contact details may change from one survey to the next.

Because many of the decisions we make and the experiences we have produce effects over the long term. The SHARE study follows the same people over the years precisely to understand how these paths influence health, well-being, work and quality of life as we age.

Researchers, students and other users engaged in eligible scientific activities can request access. Each user must register individually and have personal credentials.

Yes. Access is free for scientific research purposes, in compliance with the Conditions of Use defined by SHARE-ERIC.

The procedure is described on the page “How to access SHARE data”. Registration is managed by the SHARE Research Data Center and requires completing the SHARE User Statement and accepting the Conditions of Use.

Official documentation, release guides, questionnaires and metadata are available on the SHARE-ERIC website and through the SHARE Data & Documentation Tool.

Yes. The SHARE Data & Documentation Tool lets you search variables and metadata and generate customised codebooks without downloading the data first.

Every publication must cite the datasets used with their DOIs, include the required acknowledgements and comply with the Citation Requirements published by SHARE-ERIC.

Yes, provided the use is scientific, every person accessing the microdata is registered and the Conditions of Use are respected. For teaching purposes, easySHARE may also be useful.

No. Credentials are personal and downloaded files may not be transferred or made accessible to third parties. Members of the same research group must also register individually.

The main resources are available in the “Publications” section of the SHARE Italy website and in the official bibliographic database and the SHARE Working Paper Series of SHARE-ERIC.

For problems with registration, credentials, downloads or use of the data, please consult the official FAQ or contact the SHARE Research Data Center through the SHARE-ERIC support services.