Health, ageing and retirement in Europe - first results from the survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe

This book is about the lives of Europeans aged 50 and over. It paints a picture of their health, their families and social networks, their economic situation and their happiness. It shows the large variation of life circumstances in each country, and it reveals striking differences as well as similarities across the European countries.

Two observations form the background for this book. First, Europe has an enormous wealth in its diversity of cultures, histories and policy approaches. More than any other continent, Europe is blessed with large cultural, historical and political differences even within small distances.

Second, Europe is ageing. “Old Europe”, the continent already with the highest proportion of elderly citizens, and the population ageing process will continue for the better part of this century. Understanding how the ageing process will affect us all, and how it affects the people in the European countries differently, because their culture, their historically grown societal structures and their public policy approaches differ, is an important task for researchers in economics, social sciences and public health in order to turn the challenges of population ageing in Europe into chances for Europe.