It is widely recognised that the Australian population is ageing, with the proportion of adults aged over 65 expected to make up 25% of the overall population by 2050.

These broad demographic changes have led to a growing research and policy interest in promoting quality of life during these later years.

The expectations of older adults are also changing, with the current generation approaching older age expecting to retain a high degree of independence and well-being into later life.

Consequently, a need exists to better understand how both different characteristics of individuals and different aspects of the broader social and physical environment, contribute to health, independence, and happiness in older adulthood. 

Most previous research concerned with the well-being of older adults has focused on the characteristics of individuals, such as health, methods of coping with stress, and financial resources.

While this research has provided a necessary foundation for understanding ageing well, it is important to also consider how aspects of the immediate social and physical environments that older adults experience on a day-to-day basis could impact on ageing well.

Such a perspective provides the basis for this report, which focuses on older Australians’ perceptions of their neighbourhood surroundings, and how these perceptions are related to other key aspects of well-being in later life.

Download the full report below.