Description: Topics covered in the questionnaire are: demographic information, education and employment, relationship with family and children, economic status, HIV/AIDS knowledge, race relations, youth risk behaviour (alcohol, drug and sex), political perceptions, trust and active citizenship.

The data set for dissemination contains 317 variables and 561 cases from the expected 700 which represented 80.1% response rate. Abstract: The Gauteng State of the Youth (GSY) Survey conducted in 2018-19 is a cross-sectional survey that focuses on young adults aged between 15 and 34 years in Gauteng. The data is collected on key youth issues identified by the Gauteng Office of the Premier to help develop the necessary strategies and policy interventions for youth empowerment and development in the province.

These youth issues include employment and education status, interpersonal violence, youth risk behaviour, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and political trust and active citizenship. A quantitative bivariate analysis was used to assess these topics to describe the current situation of the youth in the province.

Face-to-face interview

Youth populations between the ages of 15 and 34 years.

The sampling frame comprised a set of Small Area Layers (SALs). These SALs were drawn using data from Statistics South Africa's 2011 Population Census. Estimates of the population number for various categories of the census variables were obtained per SAL.

In this sampling frame special institutions (such as hospitals, military camps, old age homes, schools and university hostels), as well as recreational areas, industrial areas and vacant Small Area Layers were excluded prior to the drawing of the sample. The sample was not designed to measure small minority groups in the province and consequently does not provide good data on certain population groups or age groups, such as adolescents. When reading the outcomes of the survey, the reader must be conscious of this drawback.

SALs were just the first stage of the sampling design. The design consisted of three stages. Following the first stage, a random number of dwelling units (taken as visiting points) in each SAL was selected. Here a dwelling unit is defined as "separate (non-vacant) residential stands, addresses, structures, flats, homesteads, etc. In each SAL, as part of the second stage, ten individual dwelling units (or visiting points) were drawn with equal probability. Here a numeric device was used to ensure randomness with the estimated number of dwelling units in the SAL as a measure of size. Finally, in the third sampling stage, a person was drawn with equal probability from all persons 16 years and older at the visiting point using a Kish Grid.

Competent fieldworkers with a thorough understanding of the local areas were employed as part of this project. All fieldworkers were trained by members of the research team. Fieldworkers captured data using RedCap software. The data was then checked and edited for logical consistency, for permitted ranges, for reliability on derived variables and for filter instructions. After cleaning, it was apparent that a realisation rate of 80.1% had been achieved. This high realisation rate was achieved because of the fact that communities were well-informed about the survey. However, significant challenges were experienced in accessing high-income areas in the province's more affluent gated-communities. When reviewing the results of the survey, the reader must be aware of this limitation.