INTRODUCTION 3
The ISSP Background Variables Guidelines (BVG) 3
Overview: Major Changes in ISSP BV 4
SEX “Sex of respondent” 7
BIRTH “Year of birth” 8
AGE “Age of respondent” 9
EDUCYRS “Education I: years of schooling” 10
nat_DEGR “Country-specific highest completed degree of education” 11
DEGREE “Education II: categories” 12
WORK "Currently, formerly, or never in paid work" 13
WRKHRS "Hours worked weekly" 14
EMPREL "Employment relationship" 15
NEMPLOY "Self-employed: how many employees" 16
WRKSUP "Supervise other employees" 17
NSUP "Number of other employees supervised" 18
TYPORG1 "Type of organisation, for-profit/non-profit" 19
ISCO88 “Occupation ISCO 1988” 23
MAINSTAT "Main status" 25
PARTLIV “Living in steady partnership” 26
SPWORK "Spouse, partner: currently, formerly or never in paid work" 27
SPWRKHRS "Spouse, partner: hours worked weekly" 28
SPEMPREL "Spouse, partner: employment relationship" 29
SPWRKSUP "Spouse, partner: supervise other employees" 30
SPISCO88 “Spouse, partner: occupation ISCO 1988” 31
SPMAINST "Spouse, partner: main status" 33
UNION “Trade union membership” 34
nat_RELIG “Country-specific religious affiliation” 35
RELIGGRP “Groups of religious affiliations” 36
ATTEND “Attendance of religious services” 37
TOPBOT “Top-Bottom self-placement” 38
nat_PRTY “Country-specific party affiliation” 40
PARTY_LR “Party affiliation: left – right scale” 41
VOTE_LE “Did respondent vote in last general election?“ 42
nat_ETHN “Country-specific: origin country / ethnic group / ethnic identity / family origin” 43
HOMPOP “How many persons in household” 44
HHCHILDR “How many children in household” 45
HHTODD “How many toddlers in household” 46
nat_RINC “Country-specific: personal income” 47
nat_INC “Country-specific: household income” 48
MARITAL “Legal partnership status” 49
URBRURAL “Place of living: urban – rural” 50
nat_REG “Country-specific: region” 51
CASEID “ID No. of respondent” 52
SUBSCASE “Case substitution flag” 53
DATEYR “Year of interview” 54
DATEMO “Month of interview” 54
DATEDY ”Day of interview” 54
WEIGHT “Weight” 55
MODE “Administrative mode of data-collection” 56
List of Abbreviations 57