Data Release 4 for the 2022 GSS Cross-section data, featuring a new multi-mode design, are now available. The additional data features expand survey paradata on interviewer characteristics, incentives, survey length, respondent selection, and the data collection design. We encourage users to review the documentation and consider the potential impact of the experiments and data collection approach on the survey estimates.
If you are interested in submitting new content for the 2026 GSS, the call for the 2026 GSS Module Competition is now available. The deadline is February 10th, 2025.
STATA
The GSS 1972-2022 cumulative data file is available now. Please read through the documentation carefully for important changes in 2022.
Cumulative Data Set (cross-sectional samples from all years)
GSS 1972-2022 Cross-Sectional Cumulative Data (Release 4, November 2024)
The cumulative data file is also available via SDA, The Roper Center, ICPSR, and the GSS Data Explorer.
Merged Single-Year Data Sets (cross-sectional and all panels)
Panel Data Sets
GSS 2016-2020 Panel (Release 1a, April 2022)
GSS Panel 2010-Sample Wave 3 (Release 6, March 2018)
GSS Panel 2008-Sample Wave 3 (Release 6, March 2018)
GSS Panel 2006-Sample Wave 3 (Release 6, March 2018)
Many researchers will find the "long" format easier to work with. Here is a Stata do file to convert the "wide" data we provide to "long" format. We thank Jeremy Freese for the do file. Please note this do file works with the panel data released in 2018 only.
Other
Paradata for the GSS 2022 is only available in SAS. Stata Paradata will be updated here when it is available.
General Social Survey (1978-2010) was linked to death records from the National Death Index (NDI). The indicator of possible vital status as of 2014 (variable name: DEATH) is now part of the GSS data you can download from the links above. However, because of the potential for deductive disclosure, in order to obtain more specific information, researchers need to complete a formal application to work with the GSS "sensitive" or restrictive data. Please refer to “Obtaining GSS Sensitive Data Files”.
Alerts
Please note that there are three missing values in the data:
- .i: Inapplicable. Respondents who are not asked to answer a specific question are assigned to IAP.
- .d: Don't know (DK)
- .n: No answer (NA)
The 2022 GSS Codebook contains description of other, less common missing values.
