Leader: Alessandro Rosina (UNICATT); Other collaborator(s): Tiziana Tesauro (CNR)
From the demand side: estimate through quantitative/qualitattive methodologies changes in preferences and attitudes of the older population. Identify and measure changes in: demand for goods and services, attitudes to risk and attitudes to social interactions and social arrangements in light of increased longevity (tourism and leisure activities, smart homes). Identify the drivers of co-creation. Estimate persistence in habits for older people and the role of frugality. Model consumption, work and investment patterns for a silver ecology given possible behavioural changes.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
Analysed seniors’ preferences on supporting intergenerational sustainability and demographic literacy in aging societies, to understand the determinants of the "preferences for intergenerational financial transfers".
The data used are from a survey collected in 2023 as part of the "The new challenges of seniors" project, providing information about demographics and potential social challenges faced by older adults of a representative sample of 1016 Italian seniors aged 60-75. The team collected information on demographic literacy related to population aging throughout a survey was conducted in Italy from November 29th to December 14th, 2023, using the Ipsos’ probabilistic panel, through CAWI technique. The survey relies on a stratified and random sample of 1,575 individuals, aged between 20 and 69 years old.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Financial support to young individuals outside their family emerges as the least practiced activity among seniors. Indeed, the average rating for this activity is 4.4 out of 10, with only 18% of the sample rating it between 8 and 10, and 29% giving it a rating of 1. Based on this evidence, the team consider financial transfers to young individuals as a dependent variable. One out of four young adults (aged 20-29 ys.) does not know that Italian population is aging. One out of three people in their 60s is not aware that the incidence of the old population over the entire population in Italy is higher than in other European countries. More than the 80% of our sample knows that the young population is reducing, but one out of four people in their 20s and one of out of three people in their 60s report that the incidence of the Italian young population is similar to the one of other European countries. Those who do not show an appropriate demographic literacy on the ageing and dejuvenation of the Italian population represent about the 30% of the entire sample, with the youngest age group that is more “demographically illiterate” than the oldest one.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
1. Preliminary evidence on seniors' awareness of sustainability and their role in community building: seniors prioritize environmental care, focusing on marine and terrestrial conservation. Air pollution affects the well-being of older people, reducing social interaction, but high environmental literacy promotes green practices. They attribute climate change responsibility to governments and advocate for proactive environmental behaviors.
2. Consumption patterns show that seniors favour sustainable food and recycling (while younger generations focus on energy-saving and mobility).
3. Many seniors lack awareness of demographic trends.
4. Design of a prototype toolkit for Active and Sustainable Aging, emphasizing education and engagement across generations (also in relation to Spoke 7)
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
The team is working on the data collected within the project ‘Le nuove side dei senior. The survey, which started at the beginning of 2023 and ended in September 2023, was promoted and led by Osservatorio Senior, in collaboration with AstraRicerche. In line with the objectives of the task, the data collected enable the conceptual and operational characterisation of the ‘silver ecology’ as consumption, investment and behaviour in line with sustainability. The team identified two specific lines of research.
The first line focuses on awareness of sustainability issues and attitudes towards intergenerational cooperation. Preliminary results were presented at the Age-IT General Meeting held in Venice on 20-22 May 2024. They highlight the growing importance of good intergenerational relations for the well-being of society and in particular the association between family ties and preferences for intergenerational sustainability.
The second line deals with defining and measuring the concept of “demographic literacy”, here intended as the knowledge of the ongoing ageing process in Italy and other European countries. As far as we know, this represents the first attempt to define and investigate demographic literacy. Data come from two surveys of Istituto Toniolo, conducted in 2023. Preliminary results have been presented at the 2024 Age-IT General Meeting. The first evidence we found suggests the existence of some socio-demographic gradients in the diffusion of demographic literacy.
The team is also contributing to the production of a questionnaire for a national survey involving the 60-80 age group, with the aim of collecting quantitative and qualitative data on active ageing in relation to the green transition (sustainability, relationship between generations) and the digital transition (role of new technologies and social). The team's contribution will focus on different aspects of economic well-being and intergenerational relationships, with an emphasis on exchanges in terms of economic and social support
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The focus on the new challenges imposed on seniors by the demographic and social revolution that the Country is experiencing provides policymakers with evidence-based guidance on how to actively integrate elders in sustainability strategies and well-being production. Improving the quality of life in old age and awareness of one's own potential, in an ageing society, can have a positive impact on health care costs containment but also encourage behaviours, consumption and investments that create value for society, for new generations and for sustainable development. Elders feel largely prepared for the new challenges and opportunities; but it is essential to increase the availability of public and market instruments that can encourage and support choices towards products and services that combine individual well-being and collective value.
Preliminary findings from the ongoing study on the association between family ties and preferences for intergenerational sustainability highlight the need to implement effective policies to address low fertility rates. Failure to do so could not only overburden the working-age population, but also lead to increased internal imbalances and generational divides, both potential sources of intergenerational conflict
Regarding the “demographic literacy” issue, preliminary descriptive results reveal an interesting variability of this phenomenon in Italy, particularly concerning certain socio-demographic characteristics of individuals. More educated people have higher probability to own a basic demographic literacy about the ageing process, net from the effect of other socio-economic characteristics. At the same time, having a basic demographic literacy seems to be associated with preferences regarding policies that can be implemented to mitigate the negative effects of population aging. In particular, those with demographic literacy tend to agree more with the idea of promoting family policies as tools to counteract aging. On the other hand, they see labour policies related to postponing the retirement age and promoting automation as less of a solution.
The topic is particularly relevant in light of the demographic changes that have been affecting not only Italy but much of the Western world in recent decades. Low birth rates, combined with increased life expectancy, are driving a rapid aging of the population, with significant implications for the stability not only of the welfare and economic systems, but also for the family and its traditional role as a social safety net in Italian society. Being aware of such changes and their consequences allows individuals to make choices that can reduce the potential negative effects on their personal lives and make important decisions from a collective perspective as well, such as directing their vote towards parties that provide more satisfactory responses to address the negative outcomes of ageing. On the contrary, low demographic literacy and inequalities in its distribution across social groups can hinder society’s resilience to population ageing.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results:
During this period, the project advanced significantly in the following areas:
(1) drafting a paper based on data collected in 2023 as part of the project Le nuove sfide dei senior, a cross-sectional survey promoted and conducted by Osservatorio Senior in collaboration with AstraRicerche. The paper examines the association between intergenerational relationships within families and seniors’ support—both in the form of financial transfers and volunteering—to younger non-family members. The results were presented at the Age-It workshop held at the Catholic University of Milan on October 18, emphasizing the growing importance of strong intergenerational relationships for societal well-being;
(2) developing a questionnaire for a national survey targeting individuals aged 60–80, designed to collect data on various aspects of economic well-being and intergenerational relationships, with a specific focus on the exchange of economic and social support.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Our findings underscore the urgent need to implement effective policies that promote intergenerational relationships based on the mutual exchange of resources and knowledge. Such relationships should foster relational enrichment that extends beyond family boundaries. In the context of declining fertility rates and an aging population, inaction could exacerbate internal imbalances and deepen generational divides, increasing the risk of vulnerabilities and intergenerational conflict.
Dissemination Events:
Scientific Outputs: