Living better, living older

Session 17 of the 22nd Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence, 9 July 2022.
Speakers :
Bruno ANGLES
Elsa FORNERO
Robert LEBLANC
Sylvain RABUEL
Magda TOMASINI
Philippe TRAINAR

With the increasing satisfaction of essential needs, "living better" at all ages has become the priority concern of our contemporaries. However, it is clear that the notion of "living better" today covers very different realities from one individual to another, from one family to another. It refers to the individual or collective projects that we have. As a result, there is no single solution for everyone, to which the State could refer. We are therefore referred back to the largely subjective measurement of "living better", which raises the question of enriching traditional economic concepts such as GDP, which are now too focused on quantities. The challenge of 'living better' concerns the taking into account and 'valuing' of values and quality. Better living also includes more traditional dimensions: controlling the exposure of individuals to risks, particularly health risks, increasing opportunities during life, particularly working life, extending life expectancy in good health and better management of the period of dependence, 'better living in old age'. We therefore need to identify these needs, the extent to which they are being met and the policies that would contribute to them.