Gender and Educational Inequalities in Active Ageing: Evidence from Slovakia in a European Context

This study examines employment patterns among older workers in Slovakia compared to the European Union (EU), focusing on the Employment Domain of the Active Ageing Index (AAI). Using the Eurostat demographic data (2010–2024) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) AAI measurements (2010–2020), we investigate gender and educational gaps across the age cohorts 55–74. Drawing on cumulative advantage theory and institutional legacy frameworks, the study addresses three hypotheses regarding socialist-era legacies, progressive educational stratification, and retirement age effects. Slovakia experiences rapid demographic ageing, with the population aged 65+ growing more than twice as fast as the EU-27 average between 2010–2024, and the old-age dependency ratio increasing at more than double the EU-27 rate. Slovakia’s AAI ranking improved from the last place in 2010 to the 21st position in 2020. The study disaggregates Employment Domain scores by gender and educational attainment across all four age cohorts, an analysis not previously conducted for Slovakia within the AAI framework. Gender analysis reveals that Slovakia demonstrates one of the smallest employment gender gaps in the EU, substantially below the EU-28 mean, with particularly balanced outcomes in the 55–59 age cohort. The 60–64 age group shows maximum gender disparities across all EU countries, coinciding with retirement age transitions. Educational gaps widen dramatically with age, from a modest difference in the 55–59 cohort to more than three times higher employment rates for tertiary-educated workers in the 70–74 cohort, indicating progressive cumulative disadvantage for lower-educated older workers. The findings support Slovakia’s active ageing initiatives while highlighting urgent needs for targeted interventions: gradual retirement pathways for the 60–64 cohort, workplace health promotion in physically demanding occupations, and lifelong learning programmes addressing educational stratification.