Are Austrians ageing healthily?

Abstract Functional ability, an important health measure—especially in aging societies—is measured through limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). We use panel data from four waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) conducted between 2011 and 2022 to analyse trends in the prevalence of functional ability in Austria and ten other European countries. Our results show a stagnation or modest decline in functional limitations among the Austrian elderly, and a clear downward trend in other European countries. These findings contrast with earlier evidence from the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS), which suggested rapidly rising disability rates—possibly reflecting survey mode effects rather than worsening functional ability. Overall, our results indicate that, at a given age, Austrians and other Europeans are experiencing increasingly healthy ageing, implying that rising longevity does not necessarily extend the period lived with disability.