Active Ageing Index as a Tool for Country Assessment and Comparison : The Case of the Czech Republic and Slovakia

The Active Ageing Index was developed as a tool to monitor the potential for active and healthy ageing among European countries and to identify strengths and weaknesses in the country. It is used for policy setting in the ageing agenda. However broadly used, some methodological issues remain, and caution is necessary with its interpretation. Comparison of two countries is used for discussion of these issues. The Czech Republic and Slovakia shared a long history, joined in one state as Czechoslovakia. The current generations of older adults have spent most of their lives in that shared country. Yet, the now separate countries differ substantially in their positions in the Active Ageing Index, with Slovakia ranking much lower than the Czech Republic. In this article, the causes of the differences between the two countries are researched using a thorough comparison of survey indicator rankings, and explained with statistical data and the European Values Study survey 2017. Particular attention is paid to the indicators with the lowest and highest rankings. The results show surprisingly minor differences in most indicators. The most significant difference lay in older adults' employment and health situation, with Slovakia ranking lower. Together, these indicators are very powerful in the overall ranking of the Active Ageing Index