Publication Trends, Thematic Clusters and Governance in Ageing-Insurance Research: A Bibliometric and Systematic...

Population ageing is intensifying demands on insurance systems to deliver financial protection, equity and sustainability. Yet research at the ageing-insurance interface remains fragmented across behavioural, institutional and policy levels, with governance mechanisms rarely specified. A mixed-method review combined bibliometric mapping with structured systematic synthesis. A title-restricted Scopus search (June 2025) yielded 134 peer-reviewed articles. Author-keyword co-word analysis (VOSviewer; minimum frequency = 2) identified thematic structure, which guided in-depth synthesis of 31 empirical studies coded for theory, context, insurance type, design and analysis. Three clusters emerged: Health and Active Ageing, Systemic Policy Challenges, and Financial Insurance Models. The literature is regionally concentrated, particularly in East Asia. Most studies prioritise behavioural outcomes, institutional design or fiscal modelling separately; only a minority explicitly connects individual-, scheme- and system-level dynamics through governance and implementation pathways. Cluster patterns include inconsistent measurement and population segmentation (red), solvency models treating ageing as exogenous (green), and persistent equity gaps alongside divergence between formal coverage and realised protection (blue). Linking bibliometric themes to mechanism-oriented synthesis, the review advances a multilevel lens and a focussed agenda for comparative, governance-aware research on resilient and inclusive insurance in ageing societies.