Active Ageing Index

The Active Ageing Index (AAI) is a composite indicator that measures the untapped potential of older people to contribute to the economy and society and to live independently. Developed jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the European Commission and documented by Asghar Zaidi and colleagues in 2013, it summarizes how far older men and women realize their potential for active and healthy ageing. The index is organized into four domains: employment; participation in society; independent, healthy, and secure living; and capacity and the enabling environment for active ageing. Across these domains it aggregates 22 individual indicators drawn largely from existing comparative surveys. Each indicator is normalized to a common scale, combined within its domain, and then weighted across domains into a single overall score that allows countries to be compared and ranked. The AAI was created to support evidence-based ageing policy in the European Union and beyond, providing a benchmarking tool for member states. It treats active ageing not as a property of exceptional individuals but as something policy and the environment can enable across the whole older population.