About this study

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is the only study in the UK to follow the lives of people aged 50 and over as they get older.

Wave 1 interviews were carried out during 2002-2003 and approximately 12,000 productive interviews were achieved with people aged 50 and over living in private households in England. You can read the findings of wave 1 here (or learn more about the study series).

Potential policy impact

One in three people in Britain today is aged 50 and over. Our study helps the government plan health care services and pension systems to meet the needs of this ageing population.

By comparing this study with equivalents in the US and Europe we gain greater understanding of just how much impact national policies and contexts have on people’s lives.

Methodology

We have selected people aged 50 and over who previously took part in the Health Survey for England to take part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We interview these people every two years.

The advantage of interviewing the same people who took part in Health Survey for England is that we can combine existing data with new data to learn much more about people’s health, economic position and quality of life over time.

Read more about the methodology for wave 1 here.

More from this series

The English Longitudinal study of ageing is an ongoing series. This page is about wave 1 (read the findings of wave 1 here).

You can also read the results and findings from other waves: