Socioeconomic Differences in Happy Life Expectancy among Older Adults in China

Socioeconomic inequalities in longevity are well-documented. However, less is known about whether these inequalities extend to happiness. Happy life expectancy is an important and practical indicator for examining socioeconomic differences in both longevity and happiness. It remains unclear whether socioeconomic differences in happy life expectancy exist in developing countries and among older adults. This study used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) 2008-2018 and employed multistate life table method to examine socioeconomic differences in happy life expectancy among older adults in China, using education as the key socioeconomic status indicator. Our findings reveal significant socioeconomic differences in the happy life expectancy among older adults in China, with those with higher socioeconomic status enjoying advantages in both longevity and happiness. Specifically, literate older adults not only lived longer but also lived longer happy lives and shorter unhappy lives, and they were expected to spend a higher proportion of their remaining lives in a happy state. Despite the socioeconomic gaps in happy life expectancy gradually narrowing with age, they existed even at the oldest ages. Our study contributes new evidence to the generalizability of the socioeconomic status patterns in longevity and happiness, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve both longevity and happiness of older adults in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.