employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu (17.03.2026) A new report by the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN) examines long-term care (LTC) settings for older people in 38 countries: the 27 EU countries, nine (potential) candidate countries, as well as Iceland and Norway.

E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies (Vol. 14 No. 2 - 2025) This paper examines the challenges facing European social security systems, focusing on Italy and Sweden’s differing approaches to pension reform amid ageing populations. It analyses how demographic shifts—such as declining fertility and increased longevity—are impacting the balance between contributors and beneficiaries in pay-as-you-go (PAYG) schemes.

The Jakarta Post (10.10.2025) Graying Europe has long been considered an outlier in global demographics – but the rising cost to its governments in terms of bills for pensions and health care are more manageable than assumed and less than in rival economies in the United States and China. In a detailed report on the rising cost to the public purse from Europe's aging population, Brussels-based think Breugel this week outlined the trajectory through 2070 using the latest country-by-country data from the European Commission.

who.int (01.09.2025) Digital health technologies (‎DHTs)‎ are becoming an integral part of successful and sustainable health service delivery in every Member State of the WHO European Region. Despite increasing evidence of their impact in optimizing the capability of the health and care workforce, enabling access to health services, and improving patient empowerment and quality of care, the adoption of DHTs by the workforce has been slow and faces significant challenges.

who.int (24.07.2025) The Innovation agenda for public health in the WHO European Region 2025–2030 is a strategic blueprint developed to accelerate transformative innovation across public health systems in the Region. The Agenda responds to converging demographic, epidemiological, environmental and technological challenges that demand urgent, systemic change through innovation. It identifies four high-impact “mega shifts”, each targeting key barriers and opportunities for health innovation.

Social services play a crucial role in supporting individuals and communities across Europe, but ensuring consistent quality standards remains a challenge.

eurofound.europa.eu (25.03.2025) The scale of undeclared care work (paid care work that is lawful but not declared to public authorities) in the EU is considerable. Recent estimates suggest that 6.8 million undeclared workers provide care or household services across the EU, with 2.1 million specifically in the care sector. Undeclared care workers are predominantly women and often are migrants.

(18.03.3025) This brief aims to improve our understanding of how population ageing affects the financial sustainability of health systems, focusing on its likely impact on affordable access to health care (‎financial protection)‎. It uses the Population Ageing Financial Sustainability Gap for Health Systems (‎PASH)‎ Simulator to forecast the impact of population ageing on health system revenue and spending between now and 2060 to estimate the likely size of the ageing-related health financing gap in selected countries in Europe (‎Bulgaria, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain)‎.

Euronews (13.02.2025) In many European countries, pension income is significantly lower than pre-retirement earnings from work. This makes it difficult for many older people to maintain their standard of living after retirement. Nearly one in six pensioners are at the risk-of-poverty in the EU, with the rate increasing from 12% in 2013 to 15.5% in 2023. So, how do pensions compare to pre-retirement work income across Europe?

who.int (04.02.2027) The year 2024 saw the Mental Health Flagship, under the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, make inroads in more sustainable and accessible mental health systems through four key areas: policy, services, data collection and stigma reduction. It marked the third year of the pan-European Mental Health Coalition and second year of the Addressing mental health challenges in the European Union (‎EU)‎, Iceland and Norway project, funded by the European Union.