| The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a large-scale European project investigating the social, economic, and health experiences of people aged fifty or over. For politicians and policymakers in all European countries, the study of relations between the health, economic situation, and social participation of ageing populations is a highly relevant research theme. We must know more about individual experiences in life after retirement and its planning. Equally important is the fact that populations are ageing and life expectancy is on the rise. For governments, policymakers, and researchers, therefore, it is a matter of increasing urgency to find answers to political questions bearing on medical, social, and economic support to ageing populations. This research project also undertakes to elucidate how longer life expectancy relates to good health, adequate financial provisions, and, eventually, a high quality of life for people living in Europe. The project is coordinated by Professor Axel Börsch-Supan, director of the Mannheim Research Institute for the Economics of Aging (MEA) in Germany. The research team comprises approximately 120 experts in health, economics, psychology, and sociology deriving from more than ten European countries. In each of the participating countries, a fieldwork organization coordinates the fieldwork. The questionnaire was drafted in English and translated into the languages of the participating countries. CentERdata programmes the questionnaires, has developed a management tool to coordinate the translations, and plays a central role in delivery of the collected data. |
