World Values Survey Association
World Values Survey Association (WVSA) is a Stockholm-based non-profit founded in 1981 that coordinates the World Values Survey, a free cross-national longitudinal dataset on values and attitudes spanning 120+ countries and 40+ years, serving academic, policy, and public-interest researchers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersVienna, Austria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What World Values Survey Association does
The World Values Survey Association (WVSA) is a Stockholm-headquartered non-profit research organization founded in 1981 that conducts the World Values Survey (WVS), the largest cross-national time-series investigation of human values, beliefs, and attitudes. Operationally headquartered in Vienna with 13 staff, WVSA coordinates a decentralized network of national Principal Investigators across 120+ countries, collectively covering approximately 92% of the world's population. The survey instrument is administered in standardized waves; Wave 8 launched in January 2024, continuing a longitudinal series that now spans more than four decades.
WVSA's core product is the WVS dataset, distributed free of charge to academic, policy, and journalistic users, supported by an integrated archive function (under Archive Director Jaime Diez-Medrano) and partnerships with King's College London, GESIS, the European Social Survey (ESS), the European Values Study (EVS), and ISA RC20. The organization's leadership includes Christian Haerpfer (President), Bi Puranen (Secretary-General), Kseniya Kizilova (Head of Secretariat), Christian Welzel (VP), and Pippa Norris (VP), anchoring the program in established comparative political behavior scholarship.
WVSA's revenue model is non-commercial and donation-based: funding is assembled from national PI contributions, member institutions, and grants rather than data licensing or subscription fees. Engagement is sustained through academic conferences, the Inglehart Lecture series, the Inglehart Award, and a public webinar program. The economic logic is institutional preservation and academic impact rather than profit, with cost discipline supported by a lean secretariat that outsources fieldwork to country-level PI teams.
World Values Survey Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- World Values Survey Association
- Legal name
- World Values Survey Association
- Website
- https://worldvaluessurvey.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- World Values Survey Association (WVSA) is a Stockholm-based non-profit founded in 1981 that coordinates the World Values Survey, a free cross-national longitudinal dataset on values and attitudes spanning 120+ countries and 40+ years, serving academic, policy, and public-interest researchers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
World Values Survey Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cross-National Survey Research Data
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling) (MPAAALAF), Fieldwork & Data Collection (Online Panels, CATI/CAPI, Fieldwork) (MPAAALAD)
Keywords
Where World Values Survey Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vienna
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
World Values Survey Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The WVSA relies on donations and fundraising to support its operations. The website includes a PayPal donation mechanism for supporters.
- Principal Investigator Contributions: PIs raise funds for national survey fieldwork in their respective countries, contributing to the overall funding of the global survey program.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
World Values Survey Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The World Values Survey Association operates the world's largest cross-national social survey program, producing time-series survey data on human values, beliefs, and attitudes across 120+ countries representing 92% of the world's population since 1981. The organization runs periodic survey waves (currently Wave 8, launched January 2024), maintains a centralized WVS Data Archive in Madrid, and distributes findings through academic publications, paper series, webinars, and the Ronald F. Inglehart Honorary Lecture and Best Book Award. All data and engagement events are provided free of charge, funded by donations and Principal Investigator fieldwork contributions.
Product overview
The World Values Survey Association operates a unified data research platform consisting of the WVS Database, an ongoing series of cross-national survey waves (currently Wave 8), a monthly Webinar Series featuring research findings, and academic publications including the Ronald F. Inglehart Best Book Award and Honorary Lecture series. These components work together to collect, analyze, and disseminate global survey data on values, beliefs, political attitudes, and social change across over 120 countries spanning more than four decades.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WVS Database Comprehensive archive of cross-national survey data containing values, beliefs, and attitudes from over 120 countries representing 92 percent of the world's population, spanning multiple waves since 1981. Used by academic researchers, international organizations, and policymakers for comparative cross-cultural research.
- WVS Wave Surveys (Wave 8, 2024-2026) Time-series cross-national survey waves (currently Wave 8) that collect data on political trust, authoritarianism, populism, climate change, migration, gender attitudes, social tolerance, happiness, wellbeing, and postmaterialist values across global populations. Wave 8 aims to expand coverage to over 80 countries with particular focus on developing regions.
- WVSA Publications and Paper Series Academic publications including the Ronald F. Inglehart Best Book Award winners, book announcements, and research papers utilizing WVS data across various social science disciplines. The publications series disseminates comparative cross-cultural research findings to the academic community.
Quantifiable outcome
- Data covers 92% of world's population across 120+ countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use World Values Survey Association
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
World Values Survey Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
World Values Survey Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- European Values Study (EVS)coreOngoing cooperation between EVS and WVS since 1981. Jointly carried out representative national surveys. Released joint EVS-WVS dataset (2017-2022) and EVS-WVS trend file (1981-2022). Co-organize conference sessions and collaborative research initiatives.
- European Social Survey (ESS)minorCollaborated on the 'Navigating Values Under Pressure' conference organized with EVS at GESIS in Cologne. Partnership for methodological exchanges and conference organization.
- ISA RC20 Comparative SociologyminorCo-organizes webinars on topics including economic inequality, populism, and climate skepticism. Joint webinar series exploring sociological research using WVS data.
- King's College LondoncoreCo-hosts the annual Ronald F. Inglehart Honorary Lecture. Partnership on conferences including '(De)polarisation in values, attitudes and beliefs' conference. Collaboration on UK in the World Values Survey initiative.
- GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social SciencesminorHost institution for the 'Navigating Values Under Pressure' conference in Cologne. Provides venue and organizational support for collaborative events.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
World Values Survey Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
World Values Survey Association social profiles
Digital presenceWorld Values Survey Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
World Values Survey Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
World Values Survey Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
World Values Survey Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about World Values Survey Association
What does World Values Survey Association do?
The World Values Survey Association operates the world's largest cross-national social survey program, producing time-series survey data on human values, beliefs, and attitudes across 120+ countries representing 92% of the world's population since 1981. The organization runs periodic survey waves (currently Wave 8, launched January 2024), maintains a centralized WVS Data Archive in Madrid, and distributes findings through academic publications, paper series, webinars, and the Ronald F. Inglehart Honorary Lecture and Best Book Award. All data and engagement events are provided free of charge, funded by donations and Principal Investigator fieldwork contributions.
Is World Values Survey Association a public or private company?
World Values Survey Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was World Values Survey Association founded?
World Values Survey Association was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is World Values Survey Association based?
World Values Survey Association is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does World Values Survey Association make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are principal Investigator Contributions.
Does World Values Survey Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for World Values Survey Association.
What industry is World Values Survey Association in?
World Values Survey Association's product category is Cross-National Survey Research Data. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHALAJ, Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services, with a secondary code of MPAAALAF, Quantitative Research & Survey Analytics (Survey Design, Sampling, Statistical Modeling). Its NAICS code is 541910 and its SIC code is 8600.