The target persons of the first AVID-Study (AVID ’96) stem from a representative
random sample selection drawn from the panel of samples of statutory pension insurance
accounts. A tailor-made projection of the data guarantees that the outcome of analyses of
those contributors of the statutory pension scheme aged 40 up to 60 and their spouses will
have representative character. The projection method chosen makes both single person and
spouse-related evaluations possible. The universe of analysis of the AVID 2005 was extended
to include the entire population of Germany born in between 1942 and 1961 (and their
spouses) irrespective of any entitlements to pensions from the Statutory Pension Insurance. As
a result of this decision the representative sample had to be derived from a different source
and was in this instance taken from an access panel. The record to survey data match of the
first wave had the advantage that the data quality of the pension fund data was the same as for
the ‘Sample of the insured populations’ records’. The price for this was that the data were
representative only for the population who had a pension fund account at the data of
sampling. The second survey to record path ensured representativeness for the whole
population, but created a more troublesome process to collect the process produced data
afterwards (Frommert and Heien 2007Stegmann and Bieber 2002).
The study aimes to identify the type and amount of entitlements to old-age income for
individuals and married couples, i.e. for pension-insured persons between 40 and under 60
years of age (age-groups born between 1936 and 1955, Germans living in Germany and -
irrespective of nationality and age - their spouses). Thus, in AVID ‘96 for the first time
entitlements to payments from the statutory pension insurance for those between 40 and under
60 years of age for married couples are shown, accumulation of entitlements within the
statutory pension insurance are covered, including entitlements arising from other standard
and supplementary pension systems, previously unavailable information as to gaps in the
insurance biographies of the statutory pension insurance is gathered, and extrapolation data
are supplied for the analysis of future developments. Moreover various data concerning life
and working biographies are being supplied which are not included in the individual pension
accounts.
The AVID studies are characterized by an innovative mix of methods and data sources.
They are composed of several steps, each of them and the combination being rather unique in
the context of old age security research.
The survey comprises all the important schemes for retirement in Germany, i.e., apart
from the statutory pension insurance as the most significant system, private and public
supplementary systems, civil servants‘ pension scheme, farmers‘ old-age pension scheme as