Experts assessed the change in the quality of life of elderly Russians over 10 years

From 2010 to 2019, the active aging index in RUSSIA, calculated by the HSE, almost did not grow. About what has changed in the quality of life of elderly Russians during this time,

Over ten years, from 2010 to 2019, the quality and potential of life of older people in Russia has improved slightly, showed the active aging index (IAI), which is calculated in the country by the National Research University Higher School of Economics according to the methodology of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. During this time, the index increased from 29 to 29.5% with a maximum of 100%. Oksana Sinyavskaya and Anna Chervyakova, employees of the Center for Comprehensive Social Policy Research at the Institute for Social Policy of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, presented these results in a recent monitoring reviewed by RBC.

The IAI is a comprehensive indicator that includes an assessment of different areas of the life of the older generation and their contribution to the economy and society. it is calculated for 29 states, mostly members of the European Union. At the end of 2019, Russia’s place among them is not given, but at the end of 2018, the country won in the IAD only against Greece, the HSE noted earlier.

Among the strengths of Russian active longevity, experts attribute the high level of education achieved and physical security, the situation with which has improved markedly over ten years. And the Achilles' heel of Russian aging continues to be low life expectancy and poor HEALTH, aggravated by declining access to medical care and low physical activity. The pandemic and the sanctions crisis will worsen the performance of 2020-2022, experts suggest.

Features of the index calculation

The active aging index is calculated according to a methodology that includes 22 indicators that form four sub-indices or domains - “employment”, “participation in society”, “independent, healthy and safe life”, as well as “favorable environment for active aging ". They have different weights in the final indicator, which are based on the opinion of experts on the significance of each area. For the calculation of the index, national statistical data are used, including the results of the population census, demographic indicators, sample observations.

The closer the value of the index as a whole and each of its components to 100%, the more the potential for active longevity is considered to be realized.

But not all components of the analysis created for the EU countries are relevant for Russia, the researchers point out. In particular, Russia lags behind in such an indicator as “the autonomy of the elderly” (ideally, from the point of view of foreign methodologists, independent living of the elderly is rather a boon). The lower proportion of the elderly living apart in Russia does not necessarily reflect the degree of their autonomy. The decision not to live apart may be forced (for example, due to a lack of housing) or culturally determined, the desire of different generations to live together, and is not associated with an inability to serve oneself.

In 2019, Rosstat approved its own methodology for calculating the active aging index for Russia, according to which, from 2020, the index should be calculated only on the basis of sample observations. Given the differences in the methodology, it will become impossible to compare the dynamics of the index change. The data of the "domestic" index of active aging is planned to be used as a tool for monitoring the achievement of goals and results outlined in the draft Concept of active aging of older citizens in the Russian Federation until 2034, Rosstat reported. As of 2022, the official index has not yet been calculated.

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Changes in the life of the elderly in ten years

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For ten years, the potential for active longevity, as measured by the HSE index, has remained stable in Russia and fluctuated slightly around 29%. In men, the value of the active longevity index has always been higher than in women (31.5 vs. 28.7% in 2019). The best dynamics from 2010 to 2019 among the components of the index was shown by employment (growth from 26.8% to 28.9% in general for both sexes). Growth was mainly provided by an increase in employment among men and women aged 55-59, in addition, over the entire period, the employment of both sexes aged 60-64, as well as women aged 65-69, slightly increased. The authors attribute this to the increase in the retirement age that began in 2019 and to the partial reform of early pensions since 2013. The employment rate of Russians aged 70–74, on the contrary, has steadily declined.

A small increase is also demonstrated by such a component of the index as “a favorable environment for active aging” (from 50.2% in 2010 to 51.2% in 2019). Women and men, on average, have close values ​​for this indicator. The authors note that the level of education of the older generation is a consistently strong basis for opportunities for active longevity in Russia. According to this indicator, Russia is in the top five in the ranking of 29 countries. In addition, during the decade under study, significant progress was made in the use of the Internet and smartphones by the elderly.

But the opportunities and potential for active aging in Russia are still severely limited by low life expectancy at an older age (especially for men) and low levels of psychological well-being, experts state. Life expectancy for men aged 55 in Russia in pre-pandemic 2019 was 20.1 years, while for women it was 26.6 years.

The indicator "Independent, healthy and safe life", which assesses, in particular, the availability of medicine and independence of residence, decreased from 60.7% in 2010 to 58.2% in 2019. In comparison with European countries, this is one of the lowest values, the authors emphasize.

Despite the universal coverage of the population with compulsory health insurance (CHI), the basic package of medical services guaranteed by the state does not fully meet the needs of Russian citizens, the authors note. This, in particular, is evidenced by the relatively high, in comparison with the EU countries, the share of personal expenditures of the population in total health care expenditures, they point out.

The safety indicator demonstrates positive dynamics: over the past 10–15 years, the level of anxiety of Russians about their safety has generally decreased, although older age groups still show greater concern about the criminogenic situation.

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Social life of the older generation

A slight decrease (from 10% in 2010 to 9.5% in 2019) was demonstrated by the “participation in society” indicator for older people. He evaluates the daily care of grandchildren and elderly relatives, participation in political life, volunteer activities.

In particular, indicators of intra-family activity (care for grandchildren and the elderly) have decreased. At the same time, the authors stipulate that involvement in intensive care for family members does not fully correspond to the concept of active longevity, since it may require too much strength from an elderly person and lead to a deterioration in well-being. In addition, the data available in Russia make it possible to estimate the daily care of relatives, while the UNECE international methodology takes into account weekly care with grandchildren and elderly family members. Russian studies of the involvement of the older generation in caring for grandchildren, without taking into account the intensity, show a consistently high proportion of grandparents involved in such activities, at least among those living in cities, experts point out.

In terms of political participation, 2012 and 2016 were characterized by higher rates of political participation. The authors attribute this to the presidential and Duma elections that took place in these years, as well as to the surge of the protest movement in large cities.

The only indicator of social activity in respect of which we can talk about growth is volunteering, which corresponds to the general trend of increasing participation of Russians in volunteering.

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Impact of the pandemic and sanctions on active longevity

We should expect that the indicator of the active aging index for 2020-2022 will decrease mainly as a result of the impact of the CORONAVIRUS pandemic and economic sanctions against Russia, Anna Chervyakova, a researcher at the Center for Comprehensive Social Policy Research at the Institute for Social Policy of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, believes.

The decline in life expectancy caused by the pandemic will have implications not only for 2020, but for years to come. If, according to the results of the pre-pandemic 2019, life expectancy in the country was estimated at 73.3 years, then by the end of 2021 it decreased to 70.1 years. In addition, as noted in the article, the pandemic has apparently worsened indicators such as psychological well-being, income and employment opportunities for older people. The researchers also suggest that due to the pandemic, the older generation has reduced the number of social contacts, worsened access to medical care in terms of the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases and spa treatment.

“The crisis caused by economic sanctions in 2022 will certainly have an impact on the real incomes of the population, including the older generation. <...> The departure of foreign companies from the Russian market means an increase in unemployment, including among older people, so we can objectively expect a decrease in the employment domain, ”Chervyakova believes. According to her, the fall in the level of employment and income of the older generation can also have a negative impact on their involvement in lifelong education (due to lack of funds for paid education and lack of prospects in the labor market) and even on independent living. Living together for several generations under one roof can be seen as a strategy to overcome the economic crisis, she explains. In January-September 2022, the real size of pensions of Russians decreased by 2.

Positive dynamics can be expected only in such areas as the level of formal education of older citizens and their use of information and communication technologies. However, the potential growth of these indicators, apparently, will not allow to overcome the negative trends, Chervyakova is pessimistic.

According to her, in order to at least maintain the index at current levels, it is necessary to maintain the current standard of living of the older generation - for example, by indexing pensions not lower than the inflation rate, developing employment and retraining programs, and increasing the availability and quality of medical care.

State programs for pensioners work well in large cities, but not in remote settlements, notes Associate Professor of the Human Resource Management Department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian University of Economics. G.V. Plekhanova Ludmila Ivanova-Shvets. “Digitalization can help here. The spread of the Internet, digital services and the ability to use them can improve the quality of life of the elderly,” she says.

The expert notes that improvements are hindered by the Russian mentality. “Russians, unlike Europeans, do not have the habit of taking care of their health throughout their lives, older people often do not want to try new things and do not strive to live for themselves after retirement. Together with the general low standard of living, this hinders the potential for active longevity,” she concludes.