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Global partners

The ESS has formal agreements with several organisations across the world.

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Global partners

The ESS has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in place with organisations who conduct large-scale national surveys in a number of countries. These are:

  • China (Renmin University of China)
  • Japan (Osaka University of Commerce)
  • Korea (Survey Research Centre, Sungkyunkwan University)
  • Taiwan (Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica)
  • United States (NORC at the University of Chicago)

Additionally, MoUs are in place with the European Values Survey (Tilburg University) and East Asian Social Survey Research Network - which collectively includes the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), Japanese General Social Surveys (JGSS), Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) and Taiwan Social Change Survey (TSCS).

MoUs were in place with Australia (Social Research Centre, Australian National University) and South Africa (Human Sciences Research Council) from 2019-23.

All MoUs commit to fostering cooperation through the exchange of expertise for the advancement of survey research methods. Some agreements include the provision to exchange personnel. As well as sharing methodological knowledge and practises, these formal agreements encourage the replication of survey questions.

In early 2020, the Social Research Centre of Australian National University replicated the vast majority of questions included in ESS Round 9 (2018/19) were fielded on the probability-based panel, Life in Australia. The resulting dataset is harmonised with the main ESS dataset.

A formal relationship with the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) began with the replication of ESS questions in 2014, part financed by the Newton Fund (UK Economic and Social Research Council). SASAS 2017 replicated the ESS Round 8 climate change and energy module (analysis of some of this data is available); SASAS 2020/21 included the ESS Round 10 democracy module; SASAS 2022/23 included ESS Round 11 questions on gender; and SASAS 2024/25 will field the ESS Round 12 health inequalities module.

The General Social Survey (United States) replicated ESS questions on wellbeing from 2008-12, and signed a four-year formal agreement in late 2023.

At the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) Conference in early 2023, all four members (China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan) agreed to field the ESS Round 12 (2025) wellbeing module in their next wave. This will make it possible to compare the attitudes and behaviours of respondents in European and East Asian countries for the first time. A formal MoU was signed collectively by EASS and ESS at a follow-up conference in January 2024.

The ESS has a formal partnership with the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) for four years from January 2024. The CGSS is part of EASS and will, along with other EASS members, replicate ESS questions. 

The ESS signed a four-year MoU with the Japanese General Social Survey (JGSS) in May 2021. The JGSS was first conducted in 2000 and is part of the the EASS research network. The ESS Round 10 (2020-22) COVID-19 module has already been fielded by the Japanese General Social Surveys (JGSS 2021). JGSS COVID-19 data is available here.

A formal agreement was signed by the Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) and the ESS at the East Asian Social Survey conference in February 2023, committing to a four-year partnership.

Ending in January 2028, a MoU was also agreed with the ESS and Taiwan Social Change Survey (TSCS) in January 2024.

Work to strengthen global links with the ESS received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871063.