New 2018 report: almost 169 elderly people to every 100 of the young generation. Italy is the second most elderly country in the world.
In Italy seven out of ten people claim to be in good health, but according to the annual Report, presented by Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) on 6th May 2018 in Parliament, the country has the second highest number of elderly citizens in the world in relation to the number of younger people (168.7 elderly people for every 100 youngsters).
While it is true that – in comparison to other European Countries – there is a greater homogeneity of the state of health compared to the economic condition, strong differences still remain among Italy’s regions. However, differences in the perception of one’s well being are less marked than in the past inside the same region.
In general, health inequality decreases with increasing health care expenses per capita. Two regions differ from this trend: Molise (in negative terms) and Veneto (more positively). In Italy in 2016, the index of inequality in the perception of personal health showed a minimum level in Valle d’ Aosta and a maximum in Basilicata.
THE EUROPEAN SITUATION
Regardless of the country observed, the proportion of people who perceive their health to be good increases, moving from lower to higher income levels,; in particular, in the highest income bracket, around nine people out of ten report optimal health conditions in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the Countries surveyed, the healthy population varies between 65% in Germany to 77% in Norway. The only exception is Portugal, where just under half the population report being well or very well.
In this respect, the situation in Italy is relatively good, but some critical aspects remain. In fact Istat writes:
The elderly, unemployed young people and the families of retired workers have a greater inequality in their health conditions, shown by a lower proportion of people responding [to be] ‘well’. In the families of employees and in the managing class however, a greater homogeneity is observed.
Source: Istat
