Scanian Economic Demographic Database (SEDD)

Summary

Strengths: Data provides good opportunities to study demography, migration and aging in a historical perspective and the combination of economic and demographic is one of the strengths of the dataset. Weaknesses: The data set is composed by information from five parishes in south of Sweden.

Type of data

Data Source
Registry

Type of Study
Other: Population based longitudinal study with all persons born or migrated into the area 1813-2011

Data gathering method
Registries

Access to data

Conditions of access
Open access for the period 1813-1910, data available only for scientific community after fulfilling legal requirement 1910-1968 Data from the Scanian Economic Demographic Database is now publicly accessible. The dataset is a longitudinal economic and demographic dataset containing all individuals living in five parishes in southern Sweden for the period 1813 to 1910. The current version is the 3.1-version, and all comments and suggestions regarding the data and the use of the database are most welcome. In order to access data you need to fill in the Data Extraction Request Form and submit this. In return you will receive a link where you can choose to download the full dataset or choose which variables to download. The link opens a page which is open during 48 hours. The page contains the dataset in text-format, the variable list, and some general information concerning the use of the data. We also provide STATA do-files to facilitate the use of the SEDD-data; these are also accessible on this page (below). Terms and conditions for the use of the data can be found below. The reference to be used for the dataset is: Bengtsson, T., Dribe, M. and Svensson, P. (2012) The Scanian Economic Demographic Database, Version 3.1 (Machine-readable database). Lund: Lund University, Centre for Economic Demography. For further information: http://extract.sedd.ed.lu.se/ExtractionFileList.aspx

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
microdata

Formats available
ASCII, STATA, SQL

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Availability of a unique data source: The Scanian Economic Demographic Database is the result of project collaborations between the CED and the Regional Archives in Lund. The co-operation has produced both an event database, in which all basic source material is registered, and an applied research database. The event database is accessible through the Regional Archives in Lund. The description that follows primarily relates to the research database. The database contains a variety of information on individual as well as household/family level and each individual in the database is under observation from birth/ in-migration and throughout the life span/ until an out-migration occurs. The fact that, and the way in which it also combines economic and demographic data in one data base, have made it unique by Swedish comparisons. 1813 to 1968, linked to central registers 1968-2011, sample size 104 000 individuals up to 1968, approximately 250,000 in total. Data from the Scanian Economic Demographic Database is now publicly accessible. The dataset is a longitudinal economic and demographic dataset containing all individuals living in five parishes in southern Sweden for the period 1813 to 1910. The individuals are followed from birth or in-migration to death or out-migration, and the dataset contains demographic and socio-economic variables on household, family and individual level.

First year of collection
1813

Stratification if applicable
Total population

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
Five parishes in southern Sweden

Age range
All

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Total population over a very long period of time allowing for full life-course and multi-generational studies. In addition to demographic variables, cause of death, health (from midwife reports and mustering), annual income (from 1903 onwards), height, occupations, etc are included. Migration is known, so exposure is known too. The geographical area covered is not large, which means that a large proportion of the individuals are only observed for a part of their lives. However, after 1968 individuals are followed wherever they live in Sweden.

Linkage

Standardisation
HISCO, ISCED

Possibility of linkage among databases
Individual id and person number (social security number) making it possible to link to national registers from 1968 onwards (which have been done).

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
For a general description of the area, in terms of social, economic and demographic developments, see Bengtsson, T. & Dribe, M. (1997) Economy and Demography in Western Scania, Sweden, 1650-1900. EAP Working Series Paper No.10. Kyoto: International Research Center for Japanese Studies.

Breaks
Information about land ownership from the poll-tax registers has so far been linked to the families in five of the parishes in order to get better information about the socioeconomic position of the household. In addition, information from the catechetical examination registers on migration and household composition has been added for the same five parishes for the period 1829-1895. This data, together with local information on food prices and wages, has largely been used in developing methods for analysing environmental impacts on demographic outcomes and has formed the basis for the Swedish part of the Eurasian Project on Family and Population History, supported by Swedish, European, and Japanese funding (KA from website).

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
See above.

Governance

Contact information
Tommy Bengtsson
Centre for Economic Demography
Schéelevägen 15B
22007 Lund Sweden Phone: +46 2200000
Email: Tommy.Bengtsson(at)ekh.lu.se
Url: http://www.ed.lu.se/EN/databases/default.asp; http://www.ed.lu.se/EN/databases/sdd.asp

Timeliness, transparency
It varies between different studies. Usually between 3 to 12 months.