Peer-Reviewed Articles in Scientific JournalsSubjektiv eingeschätzte Lebensdauer im Kontext sozialer Sicherung
Mergenthaler, Andreas; Reuter, Anna; Klüsener, Sebastian (2025)
Sozialer Fortschritt, 74(5). : Duncker & Humblot: 279–305
DOI: 10.3790/sfo.2025.1461002
Social systems in Germany are facing major challenges due to population ageing. This article discusses which role systematic subjective under- or overestimation of the remaining lifespan can play in this context, a question that has received little attention in Germany to date. To this end, we discuss conceptual and methodological aspects, give an overview of the state of the international research and present own empirical findings from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS). Our results indicate that men tend to overestimate their lifespan, while women underestimate theirs on average by up to 5 years. Such an underestimation could increase poverty risks in old age and exacerbate existing challenges of current demographic change processes.