The Well-Being of the Elderly: Income, Consumption, and Health - Cross-Country Perspectives

Developed countries are faced with an increasing need to maintain the incomes of the growing elderly population and to ensure that their health needs are accommodated. Economists have been particularly interested in the analysis of life-cycle decisions, including those of consumption/saving, wealth accumulation, investment in health, and intergenerational transfers. All of these outcomes can be viewed as inputs into the well-being of older citizens. This workshop aims at bringing together innovative work on this field. We are particularly interested in papers providing a cross-country comparative perspective on one of the following topics: 1. Consumption and living standards of the elderly; 2. Time-use by the elderly: voluntary activities and provision of care; 3. Health and expectations among the elderly; 4. Living arrangements, social support, and social networks of the elderly; 5. The impact of institutions on the patterns of giving; 6. Fitness and sports in old-age.