Investigating an Economic Longevity Dividend
With an ageing population and rising healthspans, longevity offers a new engine for economic and social growth.
Every country around the world is set to see an increase in the share of its population aged over 65. That leads to concerns about the negative macroeconomic consequences of an ageing society. However, at the same time life expectancy trends mean we are living longer and are on average in good health for longer. That should be good news for the economy.
Future economic growth depends on exploiting the opportunities a longevity dividend brings and minimising the costs of an ageing society. In 2020 the ESRC awarded Professor Andrew Scott a £1million grant to investigate an economic longevity dividend.
The research program is both empirical and theoretical and is aimed at identifying the magnitude of a longevity dividend, the channels through which it operates and the policies that can be used to maximise its impact.
Considerable economic research has focused on the implications of an ageing society but relatively little on issues to do with a longevity dividend. Working with a number of colleagues across different institutions and disciplines the aim of this research program is to provide deeper insight into one of the most remarkable outcomes of the twentieth century whilst helping us deal with one of the greatest challenges of the twenty first century.
Research & Updates
Nature Ageing on Longevity Developments
Nature Ageing asks a range of longevity experts about the development of the field 5 years since the journal launched
House of Lords: Preparing for an ageing society
This report moves beyond narrow demographic framings to examine the institutional and policy adjustments required as societies adapt to longer lives and a rising proportion of older citizens. It emphasises
Introduction to this Special Issue: The Economics of Ageing
This special issue of the Journal of the Economics of Ageing brings together research at the intersection of health, ageing, and longevity from an economic perspective. As populations worldwide experience
Science Direct: The macroeconomic impact of chronic disease in the United Kingdom
This paper examines the macroeconomic impact of chronic disease in the United Kingdom (UK). We use individual-level data to estimate how diagnoses of six major diseases affect labor market transitions
Inaugural Research Policy Network (RPM) Meeting
Andrew Scott was delighted to speak on the economics of longevity at the inaugural meeting of the Research Policy Network (RPM) in June 2025, held in Athens, Greece. The conference
IMF: The Longevity Dividend
Investing in the human and social capital of our later years is the only sustainable solution to the challenges of an ageing society. In other words, longer lives can be an
Past Events
Economics of Longevity and Ageing, London
9-11 July 2026
Location: Jesus College, University of Cambridge
Co-hosted by University of Cambridge, CEPR and London Business School. The conference covered a broad range of topics covering all aspects of the economics of longevity and ageing – micro and macro, theory and empirical.
Economics of Longevity and Ageing, London
31 July – 2 August 2025
Location: London Business School
Co-hosted by Ellison Institute of Technology, CEPR and London Business School. The conference covered a broad range of topics covering all aspects of the economics of longevity and ageing – micro and macro, theory and empirical.
Economics of Longevity and Ageing, London
27-29 June 2024
Location: London Business School
Click for agenda.
Co-hosted by Harvard University and CEPR on the topic of “Economics of Longevity and Ageing”. The conference will cover a broad range of topics covering all aspects of the economics of longevity and ageing – micro and macro, theory and empirical.
Advancing Geroscience: From Potential to Practice to Policy
8 June 2023
Location: University of Southern California
Click for agenda
Co-hosted by the USC Schaeffer Center and the London Business School on the topic of “Advancing Geroscience: From Potential to Practice to Policy.” We brought together on the University of Southern California campus scientists, investors, regulators, life sciences executives and social scientists to bring the potential of recent scientific developments in aging into something practical and effective that can be implemented at scale by society.
The aim was to bring together key influencers and decision makers to: (a) detail a research and policy agenda to advance the field, and (b) convene a wider group of stakeholders than usual to advance public policy.
Health, Ageing and Longevity Conference
20-23 April 2022
Location: London Business School
USC Sustaining Global Pharmaceutical Innovation and Access Agenda
ESRC The Economics of Longevity Agenda
NUS Singapore Health District Agenda
Experts on longevity and ageing worked jointly during the four day collaborative conference between London Business School, University of Southern California, National University Singapore, and the MacArthur Foundation’s Network on An Aging Society. The first day launched the conference with sessions on innovation in pharmaceuticals with the University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. The second day focused on the Economics of the Longevity Dividend with London Business School. The third day was hosted by National University of Singapore as part of their Health District programme. The final day was a MacArthur Network meeting on ageing.
For video interviews from the conference, please click here.
To view the magazine published of conference results, please click here.
