Active Ageing in Russia during Economic Stagnation: What Can We Learn from the Dynamics of the Active Aging Index?

Abstract

The article is devoted to assessing the international Active Ageing Index (AAI) based on Russian data for 2010-2019. The authors examine the dynamics of the AAI in Russia relative to the starting year of measurement (2010), highlight the strengths and weaknesses of active ageing according to the AAI data, and discuss the limitations of the AAI and the possibility of including additional indicators. Empirically, the study bases on the data of Rosstat surveys for the indicated years (CSLC, VNDN, and some others). The authors show that in the 2010s, the potential for active aging in Russia, measured by AAI, remained virtually unchanged.

The Achilles' heel of Russian aging continues to be low life expectancy and poor health, exacerbated by declining access to medical and dental care and physical inactivity. The strengths of active ageing in the AAI methodology include a high level of completed education and physical safety, which has improved noticeably. Some of the potentially vital aspects of active ageing, such as caring for grandchildren, are poorly measured by Russian data over time. The article also shows that the indicator of independent living does not measure well the autonomy of older people. The article outlines the limitations of the AAI associated with the operationalization of active ageing, which shifts the focus to productive activities and does not take into account, for example, leisure activities and the availability of assistance to people.

Acknowledgements. The article was prepared under a grant provided by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Grant Agreement No. 075-15-2020-928).