Regional Inequality in Active Ageing: Implications on the Effectiveness of National Ageing Policies

Main Article Content

Euamporn Phijaisanit

Abstract

This research displays regional policy gap.  Similar to many countries which encounter ageing society, Thailand implemented policies that seek to promote active ageing in the elderly population.  However, in most cases, policy formulation at the national level relies on macroeconomic variables, assuming "One-Size-Fits-All".  The regional characteristics and inequality in active ageing can be reflected by the Active Ageing Index (AAI) and the Gini (AAI) coefficient in this research.  The analysis mainly employs the Survey of Elderly Population in Thailand in 2014 and 2017 from the National Statistical Office.  The finding indicates that at the national level, AAI has decreased and Gini (AAI) has increased.  Overall, AAI and Gini (AAI) are negatively correlated, which is in line with most international findings.  The research raises an example of evaluating the effectiveness of a national policy to promote elderly employment.  It is found that the group of provinces with increased elderly employment level has lower AAI inequality than that with reduced elderly employment level.  The inequality in all aspects of active ageing has the tendency to increase in the future, alike inequality in other dimensions in the country.  This will further undermine the overall effectiveness of the policy at the national level.  Policy-wise contribution, the indicators provided in this research can be considered as a guideline in the priority setting of regional or local supplementary ageing policies to increase the overall effectiveness of the national policy.

Article Details

How to Cite
Phijaisanit, E. (2020). Regional Inequality in Active Ageing: Implications on the Effectiveness of National Ageing Policies. University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Journal Humanities and Social Sciences, 40(3), 1–14. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/utccjournalhs/article/view/241996
Section
Research Articles

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