The health status of the retirement-age population: a first approach

Rationale The health of the population aged 55 to 69 influences their labour supply and retirement decisions. This article aims to document their health status, in Spain and in other European countries, drawing on data from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Takeaways There are marked differences by gender in the health status of the Spanish population aged 65 to 69. Among women, 62.9% report chronic health problems, 30.1% mobility limitations and 32.1% depression-related symptoms, compared with 53.3%, 15.8% and 16.3%, respectively, among men.These prevalences are significantly higher in the 65 to 69 age group than in the 55 to 64 age group. However, there were some improvements in the incidence of health problems between cohorts inthese age groups. For instance, the prevalence of chronic diseases and of mobility limitations among women aged 55 to 64 was lower in 2015 than in 2004. In comparison with other European countries, in Spain the prevalence of the three health indicators considered is high among women between 65 and 69. Moreover, Spain is one of the countries with the highest increases in health problems in the 65 to 69 age group compared with the 55 to 64 age group.