Globally, the lengthening of life prospects and the simultaneous contraction of birth rates are leading to a progressive aging of the population. However, numerous studies have shown that today's elderly, at the same age, are less afflicted by disabilities and in better health conditions than they were in past decades.
The progressive sliding forward of the "elderly" age and the prolongation of active life have changed behaviors, sociability, consumption and saving models from a sociological point of view. Aging can therefore be seen not only as a factor of pressure on public spending, but also as a element of economic development.
The economic opportunities deriving from the expenses and consumption linked to the satisfaction of the needs of the older population have led to the outline of a new paradigm called "silver economy”. In Italy, the population over the age of 60 amounts to approximately 17 million individuals which, according to current projections, will reach 23,3 million in 2040.
The data show that this category has a better income and asset situation than the average. Between the ages of 55 and 64, 40% of households have net wealth of more than 250 thousand euros, a percentage which remains higher than 30% for households whose members are aged 65 or over.
The annual expenditure of the population over 65 years of age amounts to approximately 180 billion euros, approximately a quarter of the annual expenditure of all Italian families. The expenditure that the over 65s sustain for their own health to meet needs not covered by public welfare with their own means amounts to 13 billion euros a year, a figure that corresponds to almost 40% of the total private health expenditure of Italians , even if the elderly represent just over 20% of the population.
A recent study has estimated that in Italy the added value of the Silver Economy, considering only the most relevant sectors for it, amounts to over 43 billion euros. The impact of the silver economy is also significant in terms of employment: it is estimated that the aging economy in Italy employs about one million people. The prospective increase in the catchment area, the economic and patrimonial availability and the growing weight on the consumption of "silver" are elements on which to base the creation of a real supply chain.
