The Well-Being of Older Population across Twelve Countries: The Comparative Analysis Based on the Index on Well-Being in Older Populations

Toshiko Kaneda, Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Marlene A. Lee, Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Kelvin Pollard, Population Reference Bureau (PRB)

Despite the current trend of global aging, there has been no comparable, standard set of indicators available to measure the well-being of older populations across countries. In this paper, we describe the Elderly Well-Being Index, a composite index that we are developing to measure the well-being of older people across countries. The index consists of 12 indicators grouped into four domains that are critical determinants of well-being in old age: the material, physical, and emotional well-being and social engagement. We create the summary index and sub-indices for each domain separately for three age groups: 50-64, 65-74, and 75+. The paper will highlight the key findings from comparing the well-being of older population across the United States and 11 countries in Europe. Preliminary results show that the United States, Switzerland, and Denmark consistently rank at the top across most indicators and Italy, Spain, and Greece rank at the bottom.