Moving in Later Life: The Effects of Internal Mobility on Subjective Well-Being in Europe

Alex Pieroni , University of Florence - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
Roberto Impicciatore, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna

In ageing European societies, understanding the determinants of well-being in later life is increasingly important. While the relationship between ageing and subjective well-being (SWB) has been widely studied, the role of geographical mobility in shaping older adults’ well-being remains underexplored. This paper examines how internal migration affects life satisfaction and perceived health among individuals aged 50–74 in selected European countries. Using longitudinal data from SHARE and SHARELIFE (waves 1–9), we combine retrospective and prospective information to compare individuals’ well-being before and after relocation. Two types of moves are distinguished: interregional and local. Within-person fixed-effects models are estimated to assess the impact of migration trajectories on SWB, net of time-invariant individual characteristics. Additional analyses include indicators of depressive symptoms and activity limitations to test robustness and explore underlying mechanisms. Preliminary findings show that migration in later life is associated with higher life satisfaction, particularly following interregional moves, whereas perceived health exhibits weaker and less consistent improvements. Time since migration plays a key role: life satisfaction tends to rise shortly after relocation, while perceived health improves more gradually over time.

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 Presented in Session 62. Social and Wellbeing Implications of Mobility