Wellbeing and ageing in China

Abstract

Population ageing is a major problem which not only happens in the developed countries but also spreads to the developing countries. China has been suffering from fast ageing since the past several decades because of reducing mortality rate and increasing life expectancy. The aim of this thesis is to analyze and understand different well-being determinants of the elderly from various aspects. In particular, the thesis applies the relatively novel method to measure individuals' wellbeing and looks at this issue from different angles. The first chapter investigates the well-being of Chinese individuals by summarizing the key social economic policies that tend to influence their wellbeing over their whole life. It points out the importance of the rural-urban difference imposed by hukou system. The second chapter analyzes the long-term effect of education on the current well-being based on a representative sample of the Chinese population aged 45 or over. It investigates how the education gradient combines with the marked differences in the social policies implemented in rural and urban China. The third chapter focuses on the later life cognitive functioning which is a vital determinant of the quality of life and well-being of the elderly. This chapter looks at whether and how childhood conditions influence later life cognition. The thesis contributes to the literature on well-being of the elderly by highlighting the importance of social economic policies and early life conditions, which are expected to affect individuals’ well-being in the long run.