Cohort and gender differences in the association between childlessness and social exclusion in old age

Social exclusion (SE) and its detrimental health outcomes are a key concern in European policies. This study investigates whether childless older adults face a higher risk of SE compared to those with children, how these potential differences have evolved, and whether SE among childless older men differs from that experienced by childless older women. Children are perceived in most cultures as an insurance of social integration in old age. Delayed childbearing and falling birth rates in Western countries have raised concerns about the old age of those who remain childless and reach the last decades of their lives more socially excluded. The exclusionary risks of not having children may be gendered and different across time, but research on this topic is underdeveloped. The analysis utilizes data from the first (2002) and ninth (2018) rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS), focusing on participants aged between 65 and 74. The study reveals that childless older adults have fewer social meetings and engage in fewer social activities than parents. Findings are robust concerning time and gender, as the disadvantage of not having children compared to those with children is similar over time and for men and women. The results highlight that childless older adults face an elevated risk of SE.