Initial findings from the Next Steps Age 32 Sweep

Next Steps is following the lives of around 16,000 people in England born in 1989-90. The Age 32 Sweep took place between April 2022 and September 2023. Initial findings from age 32 paint a picture of how this generation is managing careers, finances and parenthood against a backdrop of unprecedented social change.

Experiences at college and university may have long-term benefits for diet and health

Among members of generation X, born in 1970, those who remained in education after age 18 had the best diet at age 46.

The Longitudinal Association Between Health and Labour Market Participation: A study of English Millennials – CLS working paper 2025/5

1970 British Cohort Study age 51 data now available

Data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) Age 51 Sweep are now available to download from the UK Data Service.

Millennial women paid less than male colleagues in similar jobs

Working women in their early 30s in England are paid less than men of the same age, in the same types of jobs, who have similar levels of education and work experience.

Women’s pay penalty and job quality: initial findings from Next Steps at Age 32

Baby boomers with private pensions and housing wealth more likely to retire early

A third fewer baby boomers were in the labour market at age 62 than at age 55, with retirement being the most common reason for leaving the workforce.

Economic inactivity before reaching State Pension Age: Life course evidence from the 1958 National Child Development Study

Private schools lose GCSE results edge

Private school pupils in England no longer perform better in GCSE English, Maths and Science than their state school peers from similar backgrounds.

Only a quarter of millennials who want children are trying for them

Two fifths of 32-year-olds in England want children – or more children, if they are already parents – but only one in four of them are actively trying to conceive.

Not just grades: The far-reaching consequences of failing to gain a grade 4-9 in English and Maths GCSEs – CLS Working Paper 2024/3

Does where you live matter when it comes to applying for university?

For most young people in England, growing up in the north or south, by the coast or in the city, is less important to their educational progress than their socioeconomic background and whether they come from a deprived neighbourhood.