Understanding Society is the UK Household Longitudinal Study, based at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex. 

Data from our participants has been collected annually since 2009 from a sample of around 30,000 households selected to be representative of the UK population. We interview all household members of all ages, and cover a wide range of topics. The Study includes health, biomarker, genetic, and epigenetic data and is freely available to researchers. Detailed social science information combined with multi-omics data, health survey data, and linkages to health and socioeconomic administrative data, enable research on the interaction between health, social, and economic change relevant to policymakers. The UK Household Longitudinal Study is widely used across biological, health, and social sciences: findings using Understanding Society have been used extensively to influence social policy developments and public health.