On the Socio-Economic Impacts of the Difference Between Healthy and Sick Aging

Abstract

Population aging is a phenomenon that has characterized most countries in the world for many years now. Also, for some time now, the literature has shown some social and economic impacts of this phenomenon. This chapter intends to address an impact of a social nature, namely gender inequality, and an impact of an economic nature, namely the global burden of diseases, to which the literature on population aging has not yet given the necessary attention. For these impacts it is important to distinguish healthy aging from unhealthy aging. In fact, healthy aging not only reduces the global burden of disease but also contributes to a reduction in gender inequalities with regard to quality-adjusted years of life.