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Income and well-being in old age: The role of local contextual factors

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  • Myck, Michał
  • Oczkowska, Monika
  • Kulati, Ellam

Abstract

While the role of local contextual factors as determinants of well-being has been broadly acknowledged, the literature has focused primarily on identification of individual level determinants. Using a unique dataset linking regional and individual-level information we investigate the association of well-being and local conditions among a sample of Polish individuals aged 50 and over. The results confirm high correlation of well-being with income, and we show that this correlation grows with the quality of local conditions. Similarly, a change in the composite measure of the latter is positively associated with well-being only for high income respondents. The findings highlight a particular set of policy challenges from the point of view of old age poverty and area-based social exclusion. They offer support for targeted financial transfers, and call for improvements in local conditions, in particular in accessibility to public services for low-income older individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Myck, Michał & Oczkowska, Monika & Kulati, Ellam, 2025. "Income and well-being in old age: The role of local contextual factors," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:30:y:2025:i:c:s2212828x25000064
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2025.100551
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Well-being; Old age; Income; Local conditions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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