The European Commission recently published the results of a survey on the conditions of life and work of European citizens over the age of 50. The study called Share, which analyses in 372 pages the data collected on a sample of 22,000 over-50-year-olds in 11 EU countries is divided into three main chapters: health, work and pensions, and the family. The main conclusion of the research is the “clear proof of a North-South divide in the level of quality of life: if in fact Denmark and Holland register the highest levels of quality, Greece, Italy and Spain are at the opposite extreme. But the very opposite is the case in the field of health: in spite of the fact that the health service is overall better in Northern Europe, life expectancy is longer in the South. As regards work, the countries that register the highest rate of employment in the age group between 55 and 64 are Sweden (70%) and Denmark (60%). Greece (25%) and the United Kingdom (21%) top the special classification of the over-65s who live below the poverty threshold. The survey has reached a surprising conclusion as regards the family: contrary to received opinion, it is Nordic grandmothers who most look after their grandchildren, and the solidarity of the “enlarged nuclear family” with the elderly is decidedly higher in Northern Europe. For further information, consult the website www.share-project.org
