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Health and Income across the Life Cycle and Generations in Europe

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Author Info
Hans van Kippersluis () (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Tom van Ourti () (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Owen O'Donnell () (University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece)
Eddy van Doorslaer () (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

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Abstract

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 health deterioration beyond that age. In southern European countries and in Ireland, which have experienced the greatest changes in economic and social development, the average health of younger generations 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 – Britain, 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 has been found for the US, but this pattern is not observed in the other countries. In most European countries, unlike the US, there is no evidence that income-related health inequality is greater among younger than older generations.

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Paper provided by Tinbergen Institute in its series Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers with number 08-009/3.

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Date of creation: 18 Jan 2008
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Handle: RePEc:dgr:uvatin:20080009

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Related research
Keywords: Health; Health inequality; Life cycle; Cohort;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D30 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - General
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production

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