Health and income across the life cycle and generations in Europe
An age-cohort decomposition applied to panel data identifies how the mean, overall inequality and income-related inequality of self-assessed health evolve over the life cycle and differ across generations in 11 EU countries. There is a moderate and steady decline in mean health until the age of 70 or so and a steep acceleration in the rate of deterioration thereafter. In southern Europe and Ireland, where development has been most rapid, the average health of generations born in more recent decades is significantly better than that of older generations. This is not observed in the northern European countries. In almost all countries, health is more dispersed among older generations indicating that Europe has experienced a reduction in overall health inequality over time. Although there is no consistent evidence that health inequality increases as a given cohort ages, this is true in the three largest countries--UK, France and Germany. In the former two countries and the Netherlands, at least for males, the income gradient in health peaks around retirement age, as in the US. In most European countries, unlike the US, there is no evidence that income-related health inequality is greater among younger than older generations.
Year of publication: |
2009
|
---|---|
Authors: | van Kippersluis, Hans ; Van Ourti, Tom ; O'Donnell, Owen ; van Doorslaer, Eddy |
Published in: |
Journal of Health Economics. - Elsevier, ISSN 0167-6296. - Vol. 28.2009, 4, p. 818-830
|
Publisher: |
Elsevier |
Keywords: | Health Health inequality Life cycle Cohort |
Saved in:
Online Resource
Saved in favorites
Similar items by person
-
Health and Income across the Life Cycle and Generations in Europe
van Kippersluis, Hans, (2008)
-
Health and income across the life cycle and generations in Europe
Van Kippersluis, Hans, (2008)
-
Socioeconomic differences in health over the life cycle in an egalitarian country
Van Kippersluis, Hans, (2009)
- More ...