The subjectively perceived quality of life of older people has shown slight improvements over the years. However, the number of years of good health is below the European average.

Quality of Life in Old Age: Austria Lags Behind in Country Comparison

The development of the quality of life of older people in Austria was examined over a period of more than ten years in a large, representative sample of adults aged 65 and over. For the first time, not only the variables of gender, health status, and region were considered, but also correlations with socio-economic factors.

The multidisciplinary research team around Richard Felsinger, Judit Simon and Gerald Haidinger from the Center for Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna evaluated data from the health survey of Statistics Austria from the years 2006, 2014 and 2019 of 10,056 people. The self-reported quality of life has therefore improved slightly in some areas. These include a decrease in educational inequalities, higher incomes, and progress in access to social support services.

Study Shows Clear Differences Between Western and Eastern Austria

However, clear differences remain: Younger seniors, people with higher income or education, and the population in the western federal states report a significantly higher quality of life. In contrast, people of advanced age, people with low income or chronic diseases, as well as the population in Vienna and the rest of the eastern part of the country are particularly disadvantaged, according to the results.

In comparison with Europe, Austria continues to lag behind: In numerous EU countries, the healthy life years per person have been increased over the past decades. In Austria, these values have been stagnating since 2008.

Number of Healthy Life Years in Austria Below EU Average

In 2021, the average number of healthy life years in Austria was 61.3 years for women and 61.5 years for men, below the EU average (64.2 and 63.1 years respectively). The regional difference is also striking: In the western federal states such as Tyrol or Vorarlberg, people experience significantly more healthy life years than in the east.

What also surprised the research team: Although women score worse in many quality of life areas, these differences almost completely disappear when factors such as income and education are taken into account. "This underlines the central role of socio-economic conditions as a lever to improve the quality of life in old age. Women, who on average receive significantly less pension than men in Austria, would probably benefit most from this," said lead author Richard Felsinger.

The results show how strongly socio-economic, gender-specific and regional inequalities shape the quality of life in old age. "Our analysis can provide a solid basis for tailored measures by politicians, so that older people can not only live longer, but also healthier and more fulfilled lives," said Felsinger.

(APA/Red)

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