Is Active Ageing Coping with Population Ageing?

Abstract

[EN] The Active Ageing Index (AAI) is an important tool for measuring and comparing the potential for active and healthy ageing of different societies. Its 22 indicators arranged in 4 domains have been computed by UNECE for EU countries for the period 2010–2018. Many of its constituent dimensions are negatively associated with age, with older people being less active. Given the context of generalized population ageing, of which EU countries stand at the forefront, it is natural to consider to what extent population ageing is affecting negatively active ageing indicators. Based on indicator- and sex-specific linear models with country-specific fixed-effects there are surprisingly no indicators for which population ageing has had a negative effect. A similar pattern is also observed based on aggregate indicators. The interpretation of this surprising results is double: positive effects of ageing can be explained by successful adaptation of EU societies to ageing (at least over the period 2010–2018), or to ageing indicators working as proxies for omitted trends in cohort health and human capital. For some of the indicators it is possible to discern the relevant explanation, but more work is needed for a precise separation. In any case, the results indicate that so far there have not been decreasing levels of active ageing as the ageing process progressed.