Ageing and diversity: Inequalities in longevity and health in low-mortality countries

Cosmo Strozza, Graziella Caselli, Viviana Egidi and Maria Rita Testa
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Cosmo Strozza: Syddansk Universitet
Graziella Caselli: Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
Viviana Egidi: Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
Maria Rita Testa: Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali "Guido Carli"

Demographic Research, 2024, vol. 50, issue 12, 347-376

Abstract: Background: Longevity and old age are two aspects of the same phenomenon, representing a major concern for modern societies. There is universal consensus among scholars about the need for new frameworks and measures to define older people in a more effective and dynamic way. Objective: The aim of this paper is to compute prospective old-age thresholds (POATs) in six countries characterised by disparate progress in survival. To outline possible strategies to counter population ageing, the paper also examines trends in POAT and disability-free POAT (DF-POAT) in Italy by gender, geographical area, and education. Methods: To compute the POAT, we use life tables from the Human Mortality Database (HMD) and the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Istat. In addition, to compute the DF-POAT, data on mortality and health by geographical area and education were retrieved from Istat. Results: During the period 1950–2020 the POAT advanced everywhere, albeit in different rhythms by country, gender, and period. However, great differences in POAT and DF-POAT have emerged, depending on place of residence, education, and health. Conclusions: The POAT changes the evaluation of population ageing and could reduce the alarm caused by measures based on static chronological old-age thresholds. Using Italy as a case study, we show that overcoming geographical and social inequalities would counteract the population ageing process. Contribution: The paper highlights how individual and population ageing is a relative concept, as acknowledged by James W. Vaupel in his studies where he explores the equivalence between ages based on mortality risks.

Keywords: longevity; aging; health; socioeconomic status; regional differences; old-age threshold; lifespan inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:50:y:2024:i:12

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2024.50.12

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