DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES AND NEW STAGES OF LIFE. AN ANALYSIS OF ITALIAN YOUNG-OLD

The increase in longevity recorded in the developed countries over the last decades represents one of the most important changes ever recorded from a demographical and social point of view. The continuous gain in life expectancy opens up new scenarios with marked impact on the individual lives and on societies. Simultaneously, the decrease in fertility continues to raise the old age index (ratio between old and young population), which value has risen steeply in Italy over the last decades. However, if from one side the demographical indicators unequivocally highlight these changes, more and more clearly it comes to light that some parameters used to measure such changes are becoming outdated. In particular, in this research we analyze the characteristics of individuals conventionally identified as the elderly, the so-called “senior” population (65-75 years of age), with the aim of highlighting both the level of their activity and of mutual help in their social and interpersonal exchange.