A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland sheds light on how people's health, financial situation and social resources contribute to their subjective well-being, and whether this differs at the age of 50 or at older ages. The results show that life satisfaction remains high until very old age, but eudaemonic quality of life starts to decline already after the age of 70.
The study analysed data from 75,895 citizens aged 50 to 105, across 27 European countries. The researchers employed two distinct measures of subjective well-being: evaluative life satisfaction and eudaemonic quality of life, the latter of which refers to the options people see in their current life for personal growth and self-realisation. By including the oldest age groups, the study challenges conventional approaches, providing rare empirical evidence on how well-being evolves across different stages of older age.
"Our findings suggest that while older individuals may continue to feel satisfied when looking back at their lives, their ability to maintain high levels of quality of life in terms of personal growth and fulfilment becomes more difficult as they age," says Doctoral Researcher Terhi Auvinen from the University of Eastern Finland, the first author of the study.
Women benefit from wider social networks more than men
The researchers conclude that having sufficient personal resources, such as health, financial and social resources, at one's disposal can help to maintain subjective well-being, from the age of 50 until very old age. The findings indicate that being surrounded by close others is important at every age above 50 for both women and men, and that the contribution of health to one's subjective well-being does not diminish in later life and is not different for women and men.
"However, having a wider social network contributes more to the subjective well-being of women than of men at older age, and interestingly, fewer financial means and widowhood, though still associated with a worse subjective well-being among older adults, might get somewhat easier to endure with advanced age. Yet there is no threshold of age after which any of these resources becomes irrelevant", Auvinen notes.
Age- and gender-sensitive policies can help to maintain subjective well-being at old age
The present study is particularly relevant to today's ageing societies. Many studies tend to lump individuals aged 65 and older into a single category, overlooking the potential differences in well-being and its resources between a 65-year-old and an 85-year-old –a gap of 20 years that can be as significant as the difference between a 10-year-old and a 30-year-old person. By including the oldest-old and distinguishing between women and men, the study emphasises the importance of tailoring health and social policies to meet the unique needs of women and men of different ages.
"The findings also highlight that good health, financial security and social relationships significantly contribute to maintaining subjective well-being at every age in later life. The study advocates for inclusive research and policy initiatives that consider individuals in their 80s and 90s, as well as younger seniors, to better address their specific needs."
Overall, health and social policies to strengthen older people's resources can help to maintain subjective well-being up to very old age. Hence, from a prevention point of view, such policies may provide good value for money, both from the perspective of older individuals and society.
The data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) used in this study is available to researchers worldwide for free. Starting from summer 2025, the SHARE survey in Finland is operated by a consortium led by the University of Eastern Finland.
