The European Social Survey (ESS) is an academically driven crossnational survey that has been conducted across Europe since 2001. Every two years, face-to-face interviews are conducted with newly selected, cross-sectional samples. The ESS RI assembles, interprets and disseminates data on social attitudes and behaviours that are gathered in each of the participating countries. It responds to the academic, public policy and societal needs to understand social stability and change within the European context. The topics of the ESS include: citizen involvement and democracy, family and working life, personal and social wellbeing, attitudes to and experiences of ageism as well as trust in institutions. The survey allows for new topics to be introduced over time via an open academically-led competition.

The ESS was established as European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) in November 2013. Currently, 25 countries are Members, one Observer and 6 Guest providing data on attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. ESS is coordinated by a team based at City, University of London in partnership with GESIS (DE); NSD (NO); SCP (NL); UPF (ES); University of Essex (UK) and University of Ljubljana (SI). Ten round surveys have been run since 2001 monitoring change and continuity in a range of social variables including social and public trust; political interest and participation; socio-political orientations; media use; moral, political and social values; social exclusion, national, ethnic and religious allegiances; well-being, health and security; demographics and socio-economics.