Toward an Integrated Crisis Data Infrastructure in Germany: Linking the Socio-Economic Panel with Administrative Health Records

Abstract

This paper examines the gaps in Germany’s data infrastructure for responding to crises, as revealed during COVID-19, and argues that linking the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) with administrative health records would strengthen the country’s ability to generate equity-sensitive evidence during future health-related crises. Drawing on evidence from the RKI-SOEP study, we illustrate the added value of combining household survey data with administrative health measures to identify unequal risks and burdens across social groups. We discuss why such linkages remain limited in Germany and outline practical possibilities for implementation, highlighting benefits for crisis preparedness and broader health and social research.