• Istat: one Italian in five at risk of poverty
  • Istat: 86 thousand fewer Italians in 2016, births at an all-time low

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September 26, 2017The remarkable progress of survival and the simultaneous reduction of fertility in Italy have revolutionized the demographic structure of the population, positioning our country among the first in the world for aging population. This is what Istat reports in its report "Elderly: health conditions in Italy and in the European Union".

In the European context, Italy continues, the Institute continues, has the highest dependency ratio - ratio between the non-active population and the active population - with a very low share of young people and a share of the elderly among the most high. Opportunities for well-being in the future, both on a collective and individual level, will depend heavily, the Istat report clarifies, on the quality of the years of life earned, that is on the number of years lived in good health and without limitations on personal autonomy. It is in this direction, recalls Istat, that the most recent policies promoted also at European level are moving to guarantee the sustainability of health systems, identifying as a possible strategy a greater investment in active aging (active aging).

Life expectancy increases but the condition of the over-75s worsens
In Italy, in 2015 life expectancy at 65 was 18.9 for men and 22.2 for women, one year higher for both genders than the EU average, but after the age of 75 the elderly of the Peninsula living in worse health conditions. For chronic pathologies, in comparison with European data, in general the best conditions of Italians among the less elderly (65-74 years) emerge, with lower prevalences for almost all pathologies and, on the contrary, worse conditions over 75 years. Approximately one elderly out of 2 suffers from at least one serious chronic disease or is multichronic, with quotas among those aged over 80 respectively 59% and 64%.

Comparison with the rest of Europe
In terms of the quality of the years that remain to be lived in good health and without limitations, Istat reports that "Italy is at the lowest levels, both with respect to the average of European countries (EU 28) and to other large European countries , especially for women ". In fact, the Statistical Institute reported, in 2015, a 65-year-old man in Italy can expect to live 13.7 years in good health, while his United Kingdom age 16.1 years and on average in the EU 14.4 years. For Italian women aged 65 and older, life expectancy in good health is 14.3 years, compared with 19.3 for French peers and a European average of 15.8 years. For life expectancy without limitations, at age 65 an estimated 7.8 years for men and 7.5 for women, compared to 11.4 and 12.3 years in Germany and a European average of 9, respectively 4 years for both sexes.

37.7% of Italian elders - continues the Istat report - report having experienced moderate to very severe physical pain in the 4 weeks preceding the interview, lower than the EU average and similar to what was observed for Spain. 23.1% have severe motor limitations, with a disadvantage of only 2 percentage points on the EU average, mainly due to the higher share of very elderly women in Italy. In fact, women report chronic diseases less frequently, but more multi-chronicity and motor or sensory limitations. Complain more than men of moderate to very severe physical pain (45.4% against 27.6%). Among the over-80s, the percentage reaches 58.6%, compared to 39.2% of men. In Italy, the severe reduction in personal autonomy concerns more than one in 10 elderly people. The phenomenon is in line with the average of the EU countries for the 65-74 year olds but higher among the over 75, in particular for women.

Increased life expectancy for senior graduates
Life expectancy for Italian seniors can also be influenced by the level of education. Analyzing the main health indicator, life expectancy according to the educational level, there are differences of more than 2 years of average life for men and 1.3 for women: an elderly graduate can expect to live 20 more years, while the his contemporary who has only the 17.8 year old elementary license. For women, the Istat notes, the differences are less marked: respectively 22.9 and 21.6 years. With respect to the presence of chronic diseases, the Institute reports that "the percentage of multichronic with a low educational qualification is 60% higher than that observed among the most educated multichronic, as well as among those who report at least one serious chronic illness (+ 52%). " At the territorial level, a greater prevalence of chronic diseases in the South is estimated (with the same age structure), both by observing the single pathologies, in particular the most widespread, and by considering the multi-chronicity (56.4% against 42.7% in the North ) or the presence of at least one serious chronic disease (49.4% against 39.4%).