German Ageing Survey

The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) is a main source of information about ageing and old age as a stage of life in Germany. It is a nationally representative, cross-sectional and longitudinal survey of people in the second half of life (i. e. aged 40 and over). The comprehensive study of people in their mid- and older adulthood provides individual data for use both in social and behavioural scientific research and in reporting on social developments. The data is thus a source of information for political decision makers, the general public and for scientific research. The DEAS allows to form a comprehensive picture of life situations and life contexts of old and ageing people in Germany and to respond to current political and academic questions. The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The first survey wave was conducted in 1996. It was designed and carried out by the research group on ageing and the life course from the Freie Universität Berlin, the research group on psychogerontology of the University of Nijmegen and infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences, Bonn. From 2000 onwards, the German Centre of Gerontology (DZA) was responsible for the implementation and further development of the project. The second survey wave of DEAS followed in 2002, the third in 2008, the fourth in 2011, the fifth in 2014, the sixth in 2017, and the seventh in 2020. The data assessments are furthermore carried out by infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences. Starting from 2008, the DEAS panel is conducted every three years. A new cross-sectional sample is drawn every six years. This approach enables the investigation of social change as well as individual development over a 24-year span. A book containing about women and men in the second half of life, containing the key findings of the sixth wave, was published in 2019. Since 2020 several volumes of the DZA Aktuell, based on the seventh wave and concerning the effects of the corona pandemic on older people, have been published.