As populations age across the globe, social isolation and economic insecurity are emerging as twin threats to the well-being of older adults — and how countries respond may depend on where they are.

Join the Wealth Equity Lab for a virtual seminar with Drystan Phillips, who will discuss a new paper, Patterns and Trends in Social Isolation and Poverty Among Older People in China, India, and the United States (Forden, Manickam, and Phillips). Drawing on comparable survey data from China (CHARLS), India (LASI), and the United States (HRS), the paper finds that social isolation — living alone, limited contact with family and friends, and low participation in social and community life — is consistently associated with poorer health, lower life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression among older adults. Poverty matters too, but its effects vary sharply by country: it is especially consequential in the United States, more mixed in China, and less consistent in India.

The conversation will explore what these findings mean for policies that must tackle both material insecurity and social disconnection, while remaining attentive to national and cultural context.

Registered participants will receive a Zoom link for the virtual seminar