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soCio-eConomiC impaCt
e SHARE data have received widespread attention. Some of them have had a large and direct socio-economic impact. e following examples show the breadth and quality of successful SHARE-based research:
– Already the rst wave of data revealed a European North-South gradient in many more dimensions than previously documented (Börsch-Supan et al. 2005; Avendano et al. 2009). While the income gradient was known thanks to earlier Eurostat data, the health and subjective well-being di erences between the North and the South
of Europe were surprising because they contradict mortality data and folklore about healthy mediterranean life style. E.g., in Northern and Central Europe where female caregivers are supported in their caring activities, no negative impact on their mental health was found. In the southern states, however, female caregivers were signi cantly more likely to su er from depression (Brenna & Di Novi 2016).
– Research on the causes of the link between income and health (marmot 2002) has shed light on the multiple pathways for this link ranging from internationally comparative studies of life-course development (Power and Kuh 2006) to comparisons of healthcare utilization (Sirven and Or 2011).
– In response to demographic ageing and its consequences, European governments have started to raise pensionable ages beyond 65. However, recent studies using SHARE data have shown that this can put pressure on speci c groups of men and women who are working under unfavourable conditions (Börsch-Supan et al. 2019). Whereas voluntarily continued working is already quite common among high- skilled workers and people in good mental and physical health, this is di erent for persons working in elementary occupations with physical strain (Wahrendorf et al. 2017). moreover, mental health and cognitive abilities can improve or deteriorate a er a person retires, depending on the working circumstances before the retirement (Belloni, meschi and Pasini, 2016).
– many migrants have lived in European countries for a long time and have become an integral part of society. However, the SHARE data show a signi cant subjective well- being (SWB) gap between migrants and non-migrants: Compared to natives, older migrants have lower levels of subjective well-being (Sand and Gruber, 2016). e data also showed that there are large variations concerning the size of the immigrant- native gap across countries: It is comparably large in countries with rather restrictive family reunion policies and smaller among countries with more open family reunion policies.