Prospective Longevity: A New Vision of Population Aging

Warren C. Sanderson; Sergei Scherbov

Published by Harvard University Press 2019

Prospective Longevity

A New Vision of Population Aging

Warren C. Sanderson and Sergei Scherbov

https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674243316

Overview
Contents

About this book

Warren Sanderson and Sergei Scherbov argue for a new way to measure individual and population aging. Instead of counting how many years we’ve lived, we should think about our “prospective age”—the number of years we expect to have left. Their pioneering model can generate better demographic estimates, which inform better policy choices.

Reviews

Prospective Longevity is Sanderson and Scherbov’s magnum opus. Its pages speak to all of us, no matter how old we are or where we live in the world, through its provocative new way of defining what it means to age.
-- Steven Petrow, contributing columnist for the Washington Post

What if the world’s population is not only aging, but aging better? Prospective Longevity raises the exciting prospect that ‘aging’ could be good news for the economy and beyond. In order to yield long-term dividends, we must explore the methods and insights contained in this pathbreaking book.
-- Andrew Scott, London Business School

Demographers define age in a chronological way, examining the number of years lived since a person’s date of birth. But that does not tell us how old a person really is or how much longer they will live. Through its introduction of prospective age, Sanderson and Scherbov’s magnificent book will change the way we conceptualize aging.
-- Dudley L. Poston, Texas A&M University

Redefining the concept of ‘old age’ is of fundamental importance. Doing so affects the arrangement of social institutions and the economic system, and has implications for theoretical and practical policymaking. Sanderson and Scherbov’s innovative new book is an inspiration for anyone with an eye toward the future.
-- Xizhe Peng, Fudan University, China

In this magisterial volume, Sanderson and Scherbov systematically set out their case for a radical revision of not only how we measure population aging, but how we even conceptualize it. Rigorous, yet engaging and accessible, this book is required reading for anyone interested in one of the greatest societal transformations of our time.
-- Stuart Gietel-Basten, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. A Brief History of Measures of Population Aging Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	17
2. Prospective Ages Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	31
3. How Old Do You Need to Be to Be Old? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	48
4. How Different Are Measures of Population Aging Based on Chronological and Prospective Age? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	66
5. Determining Ages Based on the Characteristics of People Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	82
6. The Stage of Old Age Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	100
7. Is the Quality of Life in Old Age Getting Worse? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	113
8. Survival Trajectories: Russian Regions and US States Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	128
9. The α-Gender Gap in Survival Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	153
10. What Would Happen to Population Aging If Life Expectancy Increase Sped Up? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	168
11. If Life Expectancy Continues to Increase, Will Population Aging Ever Stop? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
12. Intergenerationally Equitable Normal Pension Ages Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
13. Choosing Which Pair of Glasses to Wear Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	226
Glossary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	233
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	237
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	249

Language: English
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Pages
- Main content: 224

eBook

Published: November 19, 2019
ISBN: 9780674243316