Income and well-being in old age: The role of local contextual factors

Abstract

While the role of local contextual factors as determinants of well-being has been broadly acknowledged, the literature has focused primarily on identification of individual level determinants. Using a unique dataset linking regional and individual-level information we investigate the association of well-being and local conditions among a sample of Polish individuals aged 50 and over. The results confirm high correlation of well-being with income, and we show that this correlation grows with the quality of local conditions. Similarly, a change in the composite measure of the latter is positively associated with well-being only for high income respondents. The findings highlight a particular set of policy challenges from the point of view of old age poverty and area-based social exclusion. They offer support for targeted financial transfers, and call for improvements in local conditions, in particular in accessibility to public services for low-income older individuals.