How we fall apart: Similarities of human aging in 10 European countries

Arbeitspapier

We analyze human aging, understood as health deficit accumulation, for a panel of European individuals. For that purpose, we use four waves of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE dataset) and construct a health deficit index. Results from log-linear regressions suggest that, on average, elderly European men and women develop about 2.5 percent more health deficits from one birthday to the next. In non-linear regression (akin to the Gompertz-Makeham model), however, we find much greater rates of aging and large differences between men and women as well as between countries. Interestingly, these differences follow a particular regularity (akin to the compensation effect of mortality). They suggest an age at which average health deficits converge for men and women and across countries.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: cege Discussion Papers ; No. 301

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health: General ; Health: Other
• Subject: health ; aging ; health deficit index ; Europe ; gender differences ; compensation law ; human life span

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Abeliansky, Ana Lucia ; Strulik, Holger
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Göttingen, Center for European, Governance and Economic Development Research (cege)
• (where): Göttingen
• (when): 2017

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/149655
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET