In this paper, we provide new evidence on the factors associated with consent to data linkage in young people from a sample of 16–17-yearolds (born in 2004) participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. To our knowledge, this survey is the first time consent to data linkage has been studied in young people under 18 years of age. We extend the existing literature by examining economic record linkage, which is of particular concern in longitudinal surveys given the complexity of income support, benefits and pensions in many developed countries.

The findings show that young people’s consent to data linkage is above 80%. The findings also shed light on significant demographic and psychosocial correlates of consent to data linkage, the influence of prior commitment to the survey by the household, the influence of previous consent to other forms of data linkage and the influence of family members’ decisions on consent from the young person.