Do Our Histories Align? Harmonizing Partnership Trajectories, Economic Conditions and Health Indicators in GGS and SHARE

Sylwia Timoszuk , SGH Warsaw Scholl of Economics
Monika Oczkowska, Warsaw School of Economics SGH
Marta Styrc, SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Wojciech Latkowski, SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Monika Mynarska, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw & SGH Warsaw School of Economics

This paper presents a methodological analysis of the potential for harmonizing two major European panel surveys: the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The aim is to assess how these datasets can be synchronized to enable methodologically sound and statistically reliable analyses. As a Proof of Concept (Phase 1), this pilot study focuses on testing the harmonization of selected foundational demographic, economic, and health variables. Using French data as a case study, we take a first step in creating a harmonization framework structured around integrating databases into a common dataset utilizing a natural age overlap. We use data from GGS Round II, Wave 1 and SHARE Wave 9. France was selected as an optimal testbed for the key reason of having the extensive age range overlap between GGS and SHARE for the 50–79 age group, providing a robust basis for methodological testing. While the French case illustrates the framework, the strategy is designed to be scalable to all countries participating in both surveys. The study aims to explore the methodological potential of cohort-aligned harmonization, identifying feasible domains (like basic demographics), and mapping major methodological barriers (e.g., mode effects, weighting schemes). By identifying these factors in the initial phase, the paper aims to contribute to the development of tools for survey data harmonization with international relevance.

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 Presented in Session P3. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 3