Life-histories in Finland

The Finnish population is ageing quickly. This demographic shift changes the lives of Finns, who now have to plan for a longer life. It also changes Finnish society, which has to restructure its labor market, care arrangements, and urban planning, among other things. Researchers, practitioners, and the Finnish citizens wonder what changes they can expect. This book provides the first answer. It outlines the situation among older Finns and traces their life-courses. Life-courses describe developments over time in our lives. Thereby, they give us a deeper understanding of the current situation and an indication of what the future may hold.

The information in this book stems from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Finland first collected data within this survey in 2017. Thanks to this development, it now has in-depth data on the Finn-ish situation, and the data that shows how Finland ranks in international comparisons. This book introduces the Finnish data collection within the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Moreover, it presents an analysis of this data. It explores the health and health care use of older Finns. Additionally, it studies their work, retirement, and income situation. Finally, it examines their personal relationships and housing situ-ation. The findings help us better understand and respond to the on-going social change in Finland.