Toward a Comprehensive Resolution of the Social Security Problem: A new economics of aging

As the aging of society around the world continues at an unprecedented pace, there is a need to develop sustainable social security systems that do not lower the quality of life of the elderly. This project will conduct the "global-standard" panel study of middle-aged and elderly subjects, fully incorporating results from past studies and similar surveys of the elderly (i.e., the Health and Retirement Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) to realize a new microeconomic and comprehensively market-oriented approach premised on the diversity of the elderly. In doing so, it will overcome the limitations of past approaches that focused individually on specific fields such as health care, long-term care, and pensions, as well as that of simulation analysis using macro models. Through the collection of data that enables a multifaceted international comparison of health condition, economic situation, family relationships, employment status, and social participation, the project will establish in the Japanese social security policy field evidence-based policymaking based on a wealth of microeconomic data and will contribute to policymaking in other countries based on Japan's experience.

September 18, 2013 - April 30, 2015