Foundation and early phase: In 2000, the GGP Programme was launched under the umbrella of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. In 2008, an international conference demonstrated the first findings and potential of the GGP. In 2009, a EU-Design Study grant (2009-2012) signified a major change in the tempo of development, enabling a strategic rethink of the Programme’s long-term strategy.
Emerging phase: In 2016, the GGP obtained the status of Emerging Project by the ESFRI, and received funding for the Horizon 2020-funded (INFRADEV-2016-2) GGP: Evaluate, Plan and Initiate (GGP-EPI: 739511). The GGP-EPI project provided the GGP with the means to institutionalize and further formalize key processes required to position the GGP for a successful application for inclusion in the ESFRI Roadmap 2021 as a sustainable, world-class research infrastructure. Consequentially, the GGP's Preparatory Phase Project (GGP-5D: 101079357) funded by the Horizon Europe was launched in 2022. It is to pave way for GGP’s new legal status.
The GGP is a key resource for scientific research providing data on fertility decisions, work-life balance, transition to adulthood, wellbeing, and intergenerational exchanges. The GGP includes information from over 30 countries. Longitudinal data on individuals and their families is needed to identify how family background, education, labour market conditions and family-related choices shape individuals’ experiences and behaviours. The GGP allows for reconstructing respondents’ life trajectories both retrospectively (looking at people’s past life histories) and prospectively (using the panel survey to monitor how people’s lives unfold). An important reason for incorporating this retrospective and prospective life course design is to facilitate causal inference.
Data from the GGP has sparked a vast range of multidisciplinary comparative research projects, with findings published in more than 1,572 scientific publications to date, including articles in journals of multiple disciplines - demography and population studies, sociology, economics, health, psychology, education, and statistics.
Analyses based on GGP data are able to bring insights that are crucial for designing policy measures and addressing societal challenges especially those related to demographic changes. The GGP data is recurrently used to provide information to international (e.g. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Population Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and governmental organizations (e.g. ministries, municipal offices) dealing with social and demographic issues. GGP data is used to measure Sustainable Development Goals - SDG 3 and SDG 5.
The GGP provides access to micro level Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) data to registered users for non-commercial use. The access to the data is facilitated through the GGP website with the help from the UNECE ensuring safe and secure access to GGP’s micro data. Aggregated data, metadata and documentation of the GGS can be browsed openly by everyone via the GGP’s website.
The GGP data covers the themes of fertility decisions, work-life balance, transition to adulthood, wellbeing, and intergenerational exchanges as well as the gender division of paid and unpaid work labour. The GGP includes information from over 30 countries. Longitudinal data on individuals and their families is needed to identify how family background, education, labour market conditions and family-related choices shape individuals’ experiences and behaviours. The GGP allows for reconstructing respondents’ life trajectories both retrospectively (looking at people’s past life histories) and prospectively (using the panel survey to monitor how people’s lives unfold). An important reason for incorporating this retrospective and prospective life course design is to facilitate causal inference.
GGP produces two key data products: the original GGS dataset and the Harmonized Histories dataset which is focused on life history data. Through the GGP’s Harmonized Histories dataset, researchers have access to an international comparative dataset, created through harmonizing data from existing surveys – including the GGS – into one common format, to facilitate research on topics related to transition to adulthood, family formation, and non-marital childbearing, and to allow for the use of event history analysis methods.
COOPERATION WITH OTHER RIs
Survey based RIs (ESS-ERIC, GGP, GUIDE, SHARE-ERIC) collaborate at both the international land national level. At the international (headquarters) level the collaboration includes the exchange of methodological insights, as well as joint funding applications. In 2024, the new project Infra4NextGen (Horizon Europe funded) started. It is led by the ESS-ERIC with the participation of the GGP and numerous other partners. At the national level, the RIs have joined forces in several countries for a joint national RI roadmap inclusion as well as to benefit from financial, strategic and implementation complementarities.