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Declining survey participation presents a significant challenge for official statistics, increasing the risk of non-response bias and reducing the representativeness of survey data. Within the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Behavioural Insights Team supports social surveys through research and innovation that seeks to understand respondent behaviour, improve citizen experiences and develop evidence-based interventions across the respondent journey.

This paper presents a portfolio of behavioural research and innovation demonstrating how behavioural science can be applied at different stages of the survey lifecycle.

First, the team undertakes behavioural diagnosis to better understand participation decisions. Qualitative and co-creation research with people aged 18 to 34 explored barriers and motivators associated with participation in official surveys. Drawing on the COM-B model of behaviour change, the research identified barriers relating to trust, awareness, perceived relevance, survey burden and data privacy concerns, alongside opportunities to improve engagement through participant-centred design and targeted communications.

Second, behavioural insights are translated into intervention design. Findings from the 18 to 34 research informed the development of a national communications campaign aimed at increasing participation among younger adults, a group consistently underrepresented in survey samples. Through co-design workshops, concept testing and digital advertising experiments, the research identified communication approaches with the greatest potential to engage younger audiences, particularly those emphasising authenticity, collective representation and the value of participation.

Third, interventions are evaluated in operational survey settings. A randomised controlled trial tested behaviourally informed reminder messages designed to reduce attrition in the Labour Force Survey. Text message reminders increased participation at Wave 2 and reduced attrition across subsequent waves, demonstrating the potential for low-cost behavioural interventions to improve retention in longitudinal surveys.

These projects illustrate how behavioural science can be embedded throughout the respondent journey, from understanding participation decisions and designing interventions to