Age and Response Rates to Interview Sample Surveys

Abstract

The relationship between response rate — a basic indicator of the quality of survey data — and age is investigated. Standard definitions of general and age-specific response rates are presented first. In a systematic assessment of response rates by age, data from several large interview sample surveys and panel resurveys are then examined. Response rates are found to decline linearly with increasing age in both types of surveys, although the decline is not always statistically significant. Potential causes and consequences of low response rates among elderly persons are discussed.