SHARE-COHESION · Project

Europe-Wide Ageing Data Covering 28 Countries for Insurance, Pension, and Healthcare Planning

healthPrototypeTRL 3Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you could ask 50-year-olds and older across every EU country the same questions about their health, money, work, and social life — and then come back every two years to see what changed. That's exactly what SHARE does. It's like a giant check-up of how Europe is ageing, run across 28 countries with identical questions so you can actually compare results. This project upgraded the survey across Waves 8 through 10, adding better health measures and more efficient data collection tools.

By the numbers

EU member states covered with comparable ageing data

50+

Age group of European citizens surveyed

Survey waves upgraded (Waves 8, 9, and 10)

Total deliverables produced

Research partners across the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's population is ageing fast, and companies in insurance, pensions, and healthcare need reliable, comparable data across countries to make investment and product decisions. Most available data is fragmented by country, collected differently, and impossible to compare — leaving businesses guessing when they plan for ageing markets across borders.

The solution

What was built

The project upgraded the SHARE pan-European survey across Waves 8, 9, and 10, delivering 24 improved survey modules covering health, work and retirement, income and assets, social networks, and health care. New features include device-based health measures and more efficient electronic survey tools, all harmonized across 28 EU member states.

Audience

Who needs this

Life insurance and reinsurance companies pricing longevity risk across EuropePension fund managers forecasting retirement patterns in multiple countriesPrivate elder care and assisted living operators planning European expansionHealth economics consultancies advising governments on care reformMarket research firms specializing in the silver economy

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Insurance & Actuarial Services

enterprise

Target: Life insurance companies and reinsurers operating across European markets

If you are an insurance company pricing longevity risk across European markets — this project produced standardized health, retirement, and income data from 28 EU member states covering citizens aged 50 and over. The cross-national comparisons let you calibrate actuarial models country by country instead of relying on single-market estimates. Waves 8 through 10 include upgraded health modules with device-based measures for more accurate risk profiling.

Pension Fund Management

enterprise

Target: Pension funds and retirement planning firms needing demographic forecasting

If you are a pension fund trying to forecast retirement patterns across multiple European countries — SHARE delivers longitudinal panel data tracking the same individuals over time across 28 member states. The upgraded work and retirement modules in Waves 8-10 capture changing employment and retirement behavior. This lets you model how retirement timing actually shifts rather than guessing from snapshot statistics.

Healthcare & Elder Care

mid-size

Target: Private healthcare providers and elder care operators expanding in Europe

If you are a healthcare provider planning where to invest in elder care services across Europe — SHARE's upgraded health care modules across Waves 8-10 show how care needs differ country by country for populations aged 50 and over. The data covers 28 EU member states with strict cross-national comparability, so you can spot where demand is growing fastest and tailor services to local patterns.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access SHARE data for commercial use?

SHARE data is typically available for scientific research through the SHARE Research Data Center. Commercial licensing terms are not specified in the project data. Contact the SHARE-ERIC consortium directly to discuss data access for business purposes.

Can this data support decisions at industrial scale across multiple countries?

Yes. SHARE covers all 28 EU member states plus Switzerland and Israel with strict cross-national comparability through ex-ante harmonization. The longitudinal design (same people re-interviewed across waves) provides population-level trend data for the 50+ age group across Europe.

Who owns the data and what are the IP/licensing terms?

The data is managed by SHARE-ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), a supra-national legal entity. Based on available project data, IP and licensing sit with the ERIC. Commercial users should contact the coordinator in Germany for access terms.

How current is the data from this project?

The project ran from 2019 to 2024 and covered Waves 8 through 10 of the SHARE survey. Wave 10 represents the most recent data collection cycle with upgraded modules for health, work and retirement, income and assets, social networks, and health care.

Can the data be integrated with our existing analytics systems?

SHARE produces structured survey datasets with standardized variables across 28 countries. The upgraded electronic tools developed in this project improved data collection efficiency. Based on available project data, the datasets follow research data standards that can feed into analytical platforms.

Is there regulatory alignment with EU health data requirements?

SHARE-ERIC operates as an official EU research infrastructure with contributions from member states and an EU policy DG. The cross-national data collection follows harmonized protocols across all participating countries, which supports regulatory compliance analysis for pension, health, and long-term care reforms.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 12 partners across 7 countries is entirely academic and research-oriented, with 7 universities and 5 research organizations and zero industry partners. This 0% industry ratio signals that the project was designed as a pure research infrastructure with no direct commercial pathway built in. The consortium is led by SHARE-ERIC in Germany, a dedicated European Research Infrastructure Consortium, which gives it institutional stability but also means any business engagement would need to be negotiated separately from the research mission. The 1 SME listed in the consortium appears to be an exception rather than a pattern of commercial involvement.

EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM FOR THE SURVEY OF HEALTH, AGEING AND RETIREMENT IN EUROPECoordinator · DE
UNIVERSITE PARIS DAUPHINEthirdparty · FR
STICHTING CENTERDATAthirdparty · NL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVAthirdparty · IT
UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIAthirdparty · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DORTMUNDthirdparty · DE
BERGISCHE UNIVERSITAET WUPPERTALthirdparty · DE
SYDDANSK UNIVERSITETthirdparty · DK
THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEMthirdparty · IL
FUNDACION CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS MONETARIOS Y FINANCIEROSthirdparty · ES
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EVthirdparty · DE
SHARE BERLIN INSTITUTE GMBHthirdparty · DE

How to reach the team

SHARE-ERIC is based in Germany — reach the consortium management through the SHARE project website for data access inquiries

Order a report on this consortium See EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM FOR THE SURVEY OF HEALTH, AGEING AND RETIREMENT IN EUROPE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know how SHARE's ageing data from 28 countries can inform your market strategy? SciTransfer can arrange a briefing with the data team.

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