The four countries studied show the classical symptoms of ageing societies in so far as they have experienced a significant decline in fertility and a considerable increase in life-expectancy. Consequently all countries analyzed are well on their way in their transition from young to increasingly older societies. The exercise found considerable gender discrepancies in all aspects, such as health, economic security, educational attainment and living arrangements. While men generally seem to be working longer years and also seem to have easier access to pension schemes, elderly women are more often found dependent on family support and government welfare programmes.