About Growing Up in Ireland

Growing Up in Ireland has been carried out on by the ESRI and Trinity College Dublin since it first started in 2006. The study follows the progress of two cohorts: Cohort ’98 (the ‘Child Cohort’) who were aged 9 years at first interview in 2007 and Cohort ’08 (the Infant Cohort) who were just 9 months in the first wave in 2008. A wide range of topics is covered and mainly come under the three broad domains of health, education and socio-emotional well-being.

The study is longitudinal, meaning the same children take part at each visit. The participants in Cohort ’98 were visited at 9, 13, 17/18 and 20 years, and most recently in the special COVID survey at age 22. Participants in Cohort ’08 participated at 9 months initially, then 3, 5, 7/8 and 9 years, and at 12/13 years during the special COVID survey. This cohort are currently being interviewed at 13-years-old.

After 16 years based at the ESRI, the next waves of Growing Up in Ireland will be conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth from January 1st 2023. A pilot for the age 25 visit to Cohort ’98 is due to be carried out by the CSO in May 2022.

Data collected as part of Growing Up in Ireland are made available to researchers via the Irish Social Science Data Archive and the Central Statistics Office.

More information about the study is available at www.growingup.ie.