Module: Background of respondents

This page lists the questions asked within the Background module, and for which years. Clicking on the year printed after every question will bring you to the results for that year.

In 2007, some of the background questions were changed to match those asked in government surveys. For more information on the National Statistics Harmonisation project, click here.

TENSHORT: Do you own or rent this house/flat/bungalow? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

TENSHT1: Household tenure 2007 2008 2009 2010

TENSHT2: Does your accommodation go with the job of anyone in the household? 2007 2008 2009 2010

LANDLORD: Who is your landlord? 2007 2008 2009 2010

FURNISH: Is your accommodation furnished? 2007 2008 2009 2010

HOUSEHLD: Number in household 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

RAGECAT: Age of respondent (in age categories) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

RSEX: Sex of respondent 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

RRESP: Does respondent have legal responsibility for accommodation? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

RMARSTAT: Marital status of respondent 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

RMARST: Marital status of respondent 2007 2008 2009 2009

RLIVTOG: Is respondent living with someone household as a couple? 2007 2008 2009 2010

CHILDREN/GOTCHILD: Has respondent children 16 or under (living or not living with them) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

HIGHSTED: Highest educational qualification of respondent 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

HIGHQUAL: Highest educational qualification of respondent 2007 2008 2009 2010

TEA: Age when completed continuous full-time education 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

TEAMUM: Age mother completed her continuous full-time education 2006 2007

TEADAD: Age father completed his continuous full-time education 2006 2007

RECNTACT: Economic activity of respondent 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

EMPST: Economic activity of respondent 2007 2008 2009 2010

EMPST2: Employment status of respondent 2007 2008 2009 2010

ECONACT: Is respondent economically active? 2007 2008 2009 2010

NREASON: Reason for respondent being economically inactive 2007

RHOURSWK: How many hours do you normally work per week? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

TUNION: Are you currently a member of a trade union? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

UNIONSA: Are you now a member of a trade union or staff association? 2010

TUSAEVER: Have you ever beena member of a trade union or staff association? 2010

RJOBCHK: Have you ever had a job? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 <2006

REMPSEMP: Is respondent an employee or self-employed? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2010

RMANFORE: Is respondent a manager, foreman/supervisor or neither? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

RMANY: How many people do/did you manage or supervise? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

RSECTOR/RSECT: Type of organisation respondent works for? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

RNUMEMP: If employee, number of employees where respondent works 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

RNUMSEMP: If respondent is self-employed, number of employees 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

ECNACTS: Economic activity of spouse/partner 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

EMPST3: Economic activity of spouse 2007 2008 2009 2010

EMPST4: Employment status of spouse 2007 2008 2009 2010

ECONACT2: Is spouse economically active? 2007 20087 2009 2010

NREASON2: Reason for spouse being economically inactive 2007

SHOURSWK: How many hours a week does spouse/partner work? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

SJOBCHK: Has spouse/partner ever had a job? 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

WJOBCHK: Did late spouse/partner ever have a job? 2006

SEMPSEMP: Is spouse/partner an employee or self-employed? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

SMANFORE: Is spouse/partner a manager, foreman/supervisor or neither? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

SPSECTOR/SSECT: Type of organisation spouse/partner works for? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

SNUMEMP: If employee, number of employees where spouse/partner works 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

SNUMSEMP: If spouse/partner is self-employed, number of employees 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

RELIGION: Religion of respondent 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (Asked in the Community Relations module in 2000)

FAMRELIG: What religion were you brought up in? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

FAMREL2: What religion were you raised in? 2008 (Asked in the Religious Observance module in 2008)

CHATTEND: How often do you attend church services/meetings? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

CHATTND2: How often do you attend church services/meetings? 2009 2010

RELIGSAM: Is your spouse/partner the same religion as you? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

PRTNRRLG: What is your spouse's/partner's religion? 1998 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (Asked in the Religious Observance module in 1998 and 2008)

MUMRELIG: What was your mother's religion when you were a child?1998 2006 2007 2008 (Asked in the Religious Observance module in 1998 and 2008)

DADRELIG: What was your father's religion when you were a child? 1998 2006 2007 2008 (Asked in the Religious Observance module in 1998 and 2008)

ATTOTH: Have you ever attended a Catholic/Protestant religious service in N Ireland? 2001 2002 2003

OFTENATT: Have you attended a Catholic/Protestant religious service in the last year? 2001 2002 2003

GOWED: Would you be happy to attend a wedding in a Protestant/Catholic church? 2001 2002 2003

SLFMXSCH: Did you attend a mixed or integrated school in Northern Ireland? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2009

YRSFINT: How many years did you spend at a formally integrated school? 2007

YRSMIXED: How many years did you spend at a school that was just fairly mixed? 2007

FORMINT: Was this a formally integrated school? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

CONTB4IE: Did you have much contact with the other religious community before attending your first mixed or integrated school? 2006 2007 2008 2009 2009

CHDMXSCH: Has any child in your care attended a mixed/integrated school in Northern Ireland? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2009

SRSOCC1: Do you ever think of yourself as belonging to any particular class? 2001

SRSOCC2: Are you middle class or working class? 2001

CAREHOME: Is there anyone living with you whom you look after? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (Asked within the Grandparenting module in 2004 and in the Informal Carers module in 2006 and 2010)

CARESEP: Do you provide regular service/help for someone not living with you? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (Asked within the Grandparenting module in 2004 and in the Informal Carers module in 2006 and 2010)

Other questions on caring responsibilities were asked within the Grandparenting module in 2004 and in the Informal Carers module in 2006 and 2010.

DISAB: Do you have any long standing health problems or disabilities? 1998 1999 2000

DISAB1: Do you have a long-standing illness, disability or infirmity? 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 ( Asked within the Disability module in 2003 and the Healthcare module in 2006)

LIMDISAB: Does this illness or disability limit your activities? 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 (Asked within the Disability module in 2003 and the Healthcare module in 2006)

LIMILL: Have you ever had a long-term illness that affected your activities? 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 (Asked within the Disability module in 2003 and the Healthcare module in 2006)

DISNEW2: Do you have a long-standing physical or mental health condition or disability? 2009 (Asked within the Attitudes to Disability module in 2009)

DISACT: Does this condition or disability have a substantial adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities? 2009 (Asked within the Attitudes to Disability module in 2009)

STATEBEN: Do you receive any of these state benefits? 1998 2000 

RPENBEN: If respondent is of pensionable age, do you receive any of these pensions or benefits? 1999

SPENBEN: If respondent is of pensionable age, does your spouse/partner receive any of these pensions or benefits? 1999

PERSINCM: Personal income before tax and National Insurance 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

PERSINC2: Personal income before tax and National Insurance 2007 2008 2009 2010

HHLDINCM: Household income before tax and National Insurance 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

HHLDINC2: Household income before tax and National Insurance 2007 2008 2009 2010

ORIENT: Sexual orientation 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2009

PRIVMED: Are you covered by a private health insurance scheme? 2006 2007 (Asked in Healthcare module in 2006)

PRIVPAID: Does your/your partner's employer pay for members of a private health scheme? 2006 2007 (Asked in Healthcare module in 2006)

QPRIVED: Have you ever attended a fee-paying school in the UK? 2007

OTHCHLD3: Have you ever been responsible for bringing up any children of school age, including stepchildren? 2007

QPRIVED2: And (have any of your children / has your child) ever attended a fee-paying, private primary or secondary school in the United Kingdom? 2007

STATSC: And do any of your children currently attend any kind of state-funded (NI: publicly funded) primary or secondary school? 2007

PRIVED3: Respondent or child attend private school? 2007

LIVEAREA: How long have you lived in the town where you live now? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

OUTOFNI: Have you lived outside Northern Ireland for more than six months? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

ELSEUK: Did you live elsewhere in the United Kingdom? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

ROIRELND: Did you live in the Republic of Ireland? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

OUTBISLE: Did you live outside the British Isles? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

PLACELIV: How would you describe the place where you live? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

NIECON1: Has Northern Ireland's economy got stronger or weaker over the last year? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

NIECON2: Has Northern Ireland's economy got stronger or weaker over the last ten years? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

HINCPAST: Has your household's income fallen behind prices over the last years? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2008 2009 2010

SPEND1: What is your highest priority for extra government spending? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

SPEND2: What is your second highest priority for extra government spending? 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

READPAP: Do you normally read a daily morning newspaper? 2001 2002 2003 2007

WHPAPER: Which daily morning newspaper do you normally read? 2001 2002 2003 2007

TVNEWS: Do you normally watch a N Ireland TV news programme? 2001 2003

INTWWW: Is there Internet access from this address? 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

INTLEIS: Do you use the Internet other than for work? 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

HEALTHYR: Compared to people of your own age, how is your health? 2006 2007 2008 2008

HEALTHY2: How is your health? 2009 2010 (Asked in the Leisure Time and Sport module in 2009)

RUHAPPY: How happy are you? 1998 2001 2007 2008 2009 2010 (Asked in the Religious Observance module in 1998 and 2008, Social Networks module in 2001, the Public Services module in 2007, the Leisure Time and Sport module in 2009, and the Background module in 2010)