Migration in later life: evidence from the British Household Panel Study

Popul Trends. 2010 Autumn:(141):74-91. doi: 10.1057/pt.2010.22.

Abstract

This article uses data from the British Household Panel Study over the period 1991 - 2007 to examine the factors associated with residential mobility among people aged 50 and over. In line with earlier research, the likelihood of migrating, that is, changing address, is found to vary according to the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the older person. Those in late middle age (50-59) and the oldest-old (90 and over) were most likely to move. Migration was also strongly associated with changes in partnership, health and economic status during the last 12 months, highlighting the importance of seeing migration within a life course context with certain life course events such as divorce, widowhood or retirement being important triggers for prompting a move. As divorce and remarriage become more common in later life, 'relationship driven migration' is likely to become more important, adding a new category to the classical typology of later life migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Data Collection / methods
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Male
  • Marital Status / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Population Dynamics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Retirement / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • United Kingdom