Introduction: changing population structures and the lifecourse

The ageing of societies is one of the social megatrends in the Western world, China, India and other major societies (United Nations, 2001). Population ageing is the change of the demographic structure towards an increase in absolute numbers and relative share of older people. It is mainly due to prolonged lifespans, with mortality increasingly moved into the later life phases, as well as declines in fertility rates. It takes place jointly with other changes in society, like economic growth, de-industrialisation, and shifts to a service sector economy, educational expansion, increasing uncertainties in life and the development of social security. At the same time, there are substantial shifts at the level of individuals and their lifecourses, including the expansion of the lifespan with the postponement of mortality risks into later life, prolongation of educational phases, increasing conditionality of partnership and parenthood, growing regional mobility and an overall flexibilisation, pluralisation and individualisation.

All three of these trends – population ageing, other changes in society and the transformation of the lifecourse – are closely intertwined. This connection is this chapter's subject of interest and it is approached from the perspective of lifecourse research.

The prolonged lifespan

At the beginning of the 21st century, a long lifespan has come to be taken for granted by individuals in the majority of societies as well as in societal discourses. The life expectancy at birth significantly increased over the 20th century. It is now on average twice as high as it was about a hundred years ago in the majority of European countries. Nevertheless, life expectancy at birth varies between men and women and between societies. This is also true for the healthy life expectancy as well as for the remaining life expectancy of those who have already reached later life. These increases in life expectancy go hand in hand with a shift of mortality risks into the older age groups. These changes are a great success for modern society. Simultaneously, they also are one of the major sources of the ongoing demographic change which implies a structural change of society as a whole – and therefore not only a demographic matter but even more a sociological and political issue.