Cohort studies follow a group of people born in a certain place and time. They track the same group over the years, gathering information as they grow. Information is regularly collected from parents and carers; through psychological and medical measures and instruments; from the cohort members themselves; and from others who know them, such as teachers. Information from cohort studies can be supplemented with wider data: for example, about the area in which participants live. Increasingly, cohort study data is also linked at the individual level with administrative data such as school or health records.
Overall, this results in an enormous quantity of data that can be used in research: to understand the conditions of young families’ lives; how home and social environments and policies impact child development; how inequalities are produced; and how individual differences emerge. As cohorts age, experiences in the early years can be followed through to later life experiences, and a multitude of relationships between early conditions and later outcomes can be explored.
National studies
In England, there are several large-scale national cohort studies following tens of thousands of participants born throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. They allow exploration of the lives of babies born into different generations. Many cover some of the rest of the UK as well, allowing comparisons across nations.
They include:
The 1958 Child Development Study: follows babies born in 1958 in England, Scotland and Wales. Information was last collected in 2026, when participants were aged 68.
The 1970 British Cohort Study: follows babies born in England, Scotland and Wales in 1970. Information was last collected in 2026, when participants were aged 56.
The Millennium Cohort Study: follows babies born in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2000-02. Information was last collected in 2023, when participants were aged 23.
Children of the 2020s: follows babies born in England in 2021. Information was last collected in 2025, when participants were aged 3.
Area-specific studies
There are also a number of cohort studies focused exclusively on one area of England. They include:
Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; also known as Children of the 90s): follows babies born in the Avon area in 1992-93, as well as their own children and grandchildren. Continues to collect data and conduct numerous studies and sub-studies with the three groups.
Growing up in Scotland: follows three cohorts of babies born in Scotland: in 2002-03; 2004-05; and 2010-11. Information was last collected in 2025, when the middle cohort were 20.
Born in Bradford: follows babies born in Bradford 2007-10. Continues to collect data and conduct numerous studies and sub-studies with groups within the cohort.
Research using cohort studies
Just a few examples of the plethora of early years research using the cohort studies, across the wide topic of ‘parenting,’ include:
Using the 1958 Child Development Study: ‘Measuring outcomes for children: early parenting experiences, conflict maladjustment and depression in adulthood.’
Using the 1970 British Cohort Study: ‘Strong families, tidy houses, and children’s values in adult life: Are ‘chaotic’, ‘crowded’ and ‘unstable’ homes really so bad?’
Using the Millennium Cohort Study: ‘Are Poor Parents Poor Parents? The Relationship between Poverty and Parenting among Mothers in the UK.’
Using Children of the 2020s: ‘Babies and screen time: Recent evidence from the national Children of the 2020s cohort study.’
Using multiple cohort studies to draw comparisons: ‘Families and inequalities.’
The Centre for Longitudinal Studies hosts a searchable database of published research using some of the national cohort studies.
Closer hosts an ‘evidence hub’ highlighting findings across studies. Individual studies’ websites highlight recent publications, synthesise findings across topics, and often include newsletter sign-ups for new research alerts.
Education Policy Institute (2026). Early Years Explainer: What are cohort studies and how can they be used in early years research? [URL] (accessed Day Month Year).