DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37142
title: Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID): Main Interview, 1968-2015
title: Archival Version

description: This catalog record includes detailed variable-level descriptions, enabling data discovery and comparison. The data are not archived at ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via PSID) directly for details on obtaining the data. The PSID is the world's longest-running nationally representative household panel survey. With over 50 years of data on the same families and their descendants, the PSID is a cornerstone of the data infrastructure for empirically based social science research in the U.S. PSID gathers data on the family as a whole and on individuals residing within the family, emphasizing the dynamic and interactive aspects of family economics, demography, and health. PSID data were collected annually from 1968-1997 and biennially after 1997. In the Main Interview, one person per family is interviewed on a regular basis. Information about each family member is collected, but much greater detail is obtained about the reference person and, if married/cohabitating, the spouse or long-term cohabitor. Survey content changes to reflect evolving scientific and policy priorities, although many content areas have been consistently measured since 1968. Information includes employment, income, wealth, expenditures, health, education, marriage, childbearing, philanthropy, and numerous other topics. With low attrition and high success in following young adults as they form their own families, the sample size has grown from roughly 5,000 families in 1968 to more than 10,000 families and 24,000 individuals by 2017. Over the course of the study, the PSID has distributed data on more than 80,000 individuals. The long panel, genealogical design, and broad content of the data offer unique opportunities to conduct generational and life-course research. The PSID now contains thousands of inter- and intragenerational relationships over 50 years of data, including: "Paired" generational relationships, with each family in the pair providing independent interviews (as of the 2017 wave) Parent-Adult Child pairs: ~5,500 Sibling pairs: ~3,600 Cousin pairs: ~4,500 "Tripled" generational relationships, with all three generations providing independent interviews (as of the 2017 wave) Grandparent-Parent-Adult Child triplets: ~1,400 The PSID gathers rich information in the domains of health, wealth, and pensions. These data can be used in combination with panel data on employment, income, race, and education. Data collected on health includes health status, onset and recency of health conditions, health behaviors such as alcohol use, smoking, and exercise, BMI, health insurance, and expenditures. Information about mental health was collected starting in 2001. A health history calendar was implemented starting in 2007 to collect information on early childhood health conditions, including age of onset and duration.
description: The original PSID sample of roughly 18,000 people in 5,000 households consisted of a nationally representative sample and an oversample of low income families. The oversample was included to facilitate investigations of poverty-related issues. PSID families are followed regardless of where they live. The sample grows naturally as children and grandchildren from these families form their own households and are invited to join the PSID. Samples of immigrants have been added to the PSID in 1997/1999 and 2017 so that the sample continues to closely resemble the national population.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Cross-year Individual File, 1968-2015 DS2: Family File, 1968 DS3: Family File, 1969 DS4: Family File, 1970 DS5: Family File, 1971 DS6: Family File, 1972 DS7: Family File, 1973 DS8: Family File, 1974 DS9: Family File, 1975 DS10: Family File, 1976 DS11: Family File, 1977 DS12: Family File, 1978 DS13: Family File, 1979 DS14: Family File, 1980 DS15: Family File, 1981 DS16: Family File, 1982 DS17: Family File, 1983 DS18: Family File, 1984 DS19: Family File, 1985 DS20: Family File, 1986 DS21: Family File, 1987 DS22: Family File, 1988 DS23: Family File, 1989 DS24: Family File, 1990 DS25: Family File, 1991 DS26: Family File, 1992 DS27: Family File, 1993 DS28: Family File, 1994 DS29: Family File, 1995 DS30: Family File, 1996 DS31: Family File, 1997 DS32: Family File, 1999 DS33: Family File, 2001 DS34: Family File, 2003 DS35: Family File, 2005 DS36: Family File, 2007 DS37: Family File, 2009 DS38: Family File, 2011 DS39: Family File, 2013 DS40: Family File, 2015
description: U.S. households.
description: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI); computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI); face-to-face interview; telephone interviewThe data for this collection are available on the PSID Web site.