National Longitudinal Surveys
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NLS Cohorts (Active)
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The NLSY97 Cohort is a longitudinal project that follows the lives of a sample of American youth born between 1980-84; 8,984 respondents were ages 12-17 when first interviewed in 1997. Data are now available from Round 1 (1997-98) to Round 20 (2021-22). This cohort is ongoing.
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The NLSY79 Cohort is a longitudinal project that follows the lives of a sample of American youth born between 1957-64. The cohort originally included 12,686 respondents ages 14-22 when first interviewed in 1979; after two subsamples were dropped, 9,964 respondents remain in the eligible samples. Data are now available from Round 1 (1979-80) to Round 29 (2020-21). This cohort is ongoing.
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The NLSY79 Child and Young Adult cohort is a longitudinal project that follows the biological children of the women in the NLSY79. Assessment of children began in 1986 and separate young adult interviews started in 1994. Data are now available from 1986 to 2020. This cohort will not be collected in round 30 (2022). Future collection has not been established.
NLS Original Cohorts (Discontinued)
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The National Longitudinal Survey of Mature and Young Women, a two-cohort survey, is part of the NLS Original Cohort project. The Mature Women's cohort includes 5,083 women who were ages 30-44 when first interviewed in 1967, while the Young Women's cohort includes 5,159 women who were ages 14-24 when first interviewed in 1968. Data for both cohorts are available through 2003, when active surveying was discontinued.
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The National Longitudinal Survey of Older and Young Men, a two-cohort survey, is part of the NLS Original Cohort project. The Older Men's cohort includes 5,020 men ages 45-59 in 1966, with data available through the 1990 survey year, the final year the Older Men were interviewed. The Young Men's cohort includes 5,225 men who were ages 14-24 when first interviewed in 1966, with data available through 1981, when active surveying was discontinued.
Table 1. The NLS: Cohorts, Sample Sizes, Interview Years Status
Cohort |
Age Cohort |
Birth Year Cohort |
Initial Sample Size |
Initial/Latest Survey Year |
# of Surveys to Date |
Survey Status |
NLSY97
|
12-16 (as of 12/31/96) |
1980-84 |
8984 |
1997/2021 |
20 |
Continuing |
NLSY79
|
14-21 (as of 12/31/78) |
1957-1964 |
12686 |
1979/2022 |
30 |
Continuing |
NLSY79 Children
|
Birth-14 |
|
|
1986/2016 |
16 |
Ended |
NLSY79 Young Adults
|
15 & older |
|
|
1994/2020 |
14 |
Continuing |
Young Women
|
14-24 (as of 12/31/67) |
1943-53 |
5159 |
1968/2003 |
22 |
Ended |
Mature Women
|
30-44 (as of 3/31/67) |
4/1/22-3/31/37 |
5083 |
1967/2003 |
21 |
Ended |
Young Men
|
14-24 (as of 3/31/66) |
4/1/41-3/31/52 |
5225 |
1966/1981 |
12 |
Ended |
Older Men
|
45-59 (as of 3/31/66) |
4/1/06-3/31/21 |
5020 |
1966/1990 |
13 |
Ended |
Last Modified Date: May 16, 2024