17 November 2023 - When picturing the golden years, one might imagine a serene life post-retirement, often spent in the comforting company of family. However, UN DESA's latest data story, reveals a more nuanced global picture that directly influences the well-being, health, and happiness of women and men aged 65 and older.
This data story, complete with interactive visualizations, uncovers that gender plays a crucial role in determining the living arrangements of older persons. In general, older women are twice as likely as older men to live alone, primarily due to higher levels of widowhood. When living with children, older men are more likely to share their homes with younger children, while older women, typically outliving their spouses, are more likely to cohabitate with older offspring. Additionally, the phenomenon of 'skip-generation' households, where grandparents and grandchildren live together, often due to migration or health crises like the HIV/AIDS epidemic, is notably more common among older women.
Living arrangements of older persons also see differences correlated to levels of development. In developed regions like Europe and Northern America, nearly three-quarters of older persons live alone or with their spouse, supported by robust social protection systems, while in less developed regions older persons most often reside with their children or extended family members. This discrepancy is not merely a matter of preference but a reflection of socioeconomic realities and the availability of support systems.
The data story highlights the importance of policies that take into account the diverse living arrangements of older women and men to ensure they receive the care and support they need to lead a fulfilling life. This is especially crucial as the global demographic shifts towards an ageing population, with more individuals living longer than ever before and with gender inequalities impacting women disproportionately in their well-being, physical and psycho-social health.
To delve deeper into this and other interactive data stories that explore gender in relation to a range of themes including education, health, economic empowerment, time use, public life, and human rights, visit the UN DESA's . For the complete data set of living arrangements of older persons, visit: the Population Division Database.