Economic Research on Elderly Health and Implications for Analysis of Aging China

Abstract

"Old while not affluent" situation, together with an unsustainable high investment rate and high dependency on foreign trade, spurs hot debates on the challenges of a fast-aging population and the exploitation of the second demographic dividend in today’s China. Literature related to elderly health in countries other than China often starts with medical concepts and then dwells on economic issues, mainly focusing on socioeconomic, behavioral, and environmental factors and their effects on the health of the elderly. This article reviews economic research on these topics and then discusses possible implications for the economic analysis of aging China.

Keywords: Elderly health, interdisciplinary research, economic analysis

JEL Classification: H30, J14, I10