The factors influencing the wellbeing of elderly people in Europe

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the factors that affect the well-being of the individuals aged 50 years and over. Recent studies have found that the most significant contributors to a higher well-being and life satisfaction are health status and income level. However, there are very few studies that include social indicators which are also crucial in defining individuals well-being. Using the newer version of the data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we first look at income- and health- related inequalities in well-being and later we investigate the effect of social indicators on individuals well-being. The results suggest that the significance and the scale with which social indicators affect the level of well-being varies substantially across European countries.