The Impact of High-Level Pension Insurance on Physical and Mental Health Among the Elderly: An Empirical Analysis Based on CHARLS 2018 Data

Research Article
Open access

The Impact of High-Level Pension Insurance on Physical and Mental Health Among the Elderly: An Empirical Analysis Based on CHARLS 2018 Data

Hanxiao Zhang 1*
  • 1 School of International Business, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China    
  • *corresponding author ZoeZhangNICE@163.com
AEMPS Vol.189
ISSN (Print): 2754-1177
ISSN (Online): 2754-1169
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-179-2
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-180-8

Abstract

China's swiftly aging population has considerable health issues, wherein comprehensive pension insurance is crucial for alleviating physical and mental health deterioration among the elderly. This study takes data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), concentrating on persons aged 60 and older, and performs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to assess the effects of pension insurance tiers. The findings indicate that comprehensive pension insurance markedly enhances both physical and mental well-being, with more pronounced impacts noted among urban dwellers and non-isolated seniors, largely mediated by self-assessed health status. These findings highlight systematic inequalities in benefit allocation. Policymakers must emphasize the expansion of rural coverage, expedite multi-pillar pension changes, and include community-based eldercare services to guarantee sustainable and equitable health results for China's aging demographic.

Keywords:

high-level pension insurance, the elderly, physical and mental health, CHARLS

Zhang,H. (2025). The Impact of High-Level Pension Insurance on Physical and Mental Health Among the Elderly: An Empirical Analysis Based on CHARLS 2018 Data. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,189,66-74.
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References

[1]. Chen, Q., Zhang, X., & Hao, Y. (2024). The impact of basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents on the health and inequality of the elderly population. Population Journal, 46(6), 77–94.

[2]. Cai, W., Li, B., & Fei, Y. (2024). The impact of pension insurance system convergence on workers' participation behavior. Economic Perspectives, 2024(2), 88–106.

[3]. Yang, J., Deng, D., & Wu, H. (2018). The family income effect of China's urban and rural residents' pension insurance system—A counterfactual estimation based on propensity score matching (PSM). Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2018(10), 84–95.

[4]. Dushi, I., Iams, H. M., & Trenkamp, B. (2017). The importance of social security benefits to the income of the aged population. Social Security Bulletin, 77(2), 1 - 12.

[5]. Song, J., & Gao, C. (2023). Basic pension insurance system and income inequality among residents: Impact and mechanism analysis—From the perspective of individual relative deprivation. Journal of Southwest Minzu University (Humanities and Social Science Edition), 2023(2), 153–164.

[6]. Etgeton, S. (2018). The effect of pension reforms on old - age income inequality. Labour Economics, 53, 146 - 161.

[7]. Xu, Q., Zhang, K., & Zhou, Y. (2023). Traditional security, pension insurance, and rural residents' concerns about old-age support. Zhejiang Social Sciences, 2023(8), 80–89.

[8]. Chen, T., Wang, K., Lan, B., Mo, L., Peng, W., & Song, L. (2021). Analysis of urban-rural heterogeneity in the health status of the elderly—Based on 2015 CHARLS tracking survey data. Rural Economy and Science-Technology, 32(21), 265–270.

[9]. Zhu, X., Gu, N., Chen, Q., & Gao, L. (2024). The impact of long-term care insurance on the subjective well-being of the elderly—An empirical analysis based on CHARLS panel data. Chinese Health Service Management, 41(3), 264–268.

[10]. Chen, T., Wang, K., Lan, B., Mo, L., Peng, W., & Song, L. (2021). Analysis of urban-rural heterogeneity in the health status of the elderly—Based on 2015 CHARLS tracking survey data. Rural Economy and Science-Technology, 32(21), 265–270.

[11]. Huang, Q., & Fang, S. (2022). The impact of the pension insurance system on the health of the elderly: Evidence from Chinese urban residents. On Economic Problems, 2022(8), 29–38.

[12]. Pak, T. Y. (2021). What are the effects of expanding social pension on health? Evidence from the Basic Pension in South Korea. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 18, 100287.

[13]. Lei, X., Bai, C., Hong, J., & Liu, H. (2022). Long-term care insurance and the well-being of older adults and their families: Evidence from China. Social Science & Medicine, 296, 114745.

[14]. Zhang, L., Wei, Q., Liu, H., Ma, Y., Zhao, B., Li, S., & Chen, S. (2024). The impact of long-term care insurance on the physical and mental health of the elderly in China. Medicine and Society, 37(8), 72–77.

[15]. Pu, X., Wang, Y., & Zhao, H. (2022). Basic pension insurance, interpersonal consumption, and rural residents' risk perception—A comparative analysis from the perspective of formal and informal institutions. Comparative Economic & Social Systems, 2022(1), 105–117.

[16]. Liu, Q., & Liu, S. (2019). The poverty reduction effect of rural basic pension insurance—An empirical analysis based on PSM-DID. Population and Development, 25(3), 38–46.

[17]. Qin, C., & Guo, J. (2021). Analysis of China’s New Rural Society Pension System. Journal of Quantitative & Technical Economics, 38(5), 52 - 71.

[18]. Lu, M., & Feng, M. (2008). Reforming the Welfare System in the People’s Republic of China. Asian Development Review, 25(1&2), 58 - 80.

[19]. Wei, S., Xiang, J., & Ma, G. (2018). The Estimation and Potential Impact of the Central Adjustment Fund for Basic Endowment Insurance. Tax and Economic Research, 23(6), 1 - 5.

[20]. Zhang, X., & Fang, Q. (2017). Research on the appropriate contribution base of pension insurance for China's urban low-income groups. The Journal of Quantitative & Technical Economics, 34(9), 122–139.

[21]. Chetty, R., & Hendren, N. (2018). The impacts of neighborhoods on intergenerational mobility II: County-level estimates. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(3), 1163-1228.

[22]. Shang, X., & Lei, H. (2024). The subjective social stratification effect of the basic pension security system—An analysis based on CLDS2018 data. Sociological Review of China, 2024(5), 234–256.

[23]. Chen, Y., Zhao, L., Fan, Y., & Xie, B. (2021). Does the New Rural Pension Scheme improve residents’ livelihoods? Empirical evidence from Northwestern China. PLoS ONE, 16(4), e0250130. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250130.

[24]. She, X., & Wu, J. (2014). Comparison of mental health status between urban and rural elderly. China Journal of Health Psychology, 22(2), 237–239.

[25]. Shang, X., & Lei, H. (2024). The subjective social stratification effect of the basic pension security system—An analysis based on CLDS2018 data. Sociological Review of China, 2024(5), 234–256.


Cite this article

Zhang,H. (2025). The Impact of High-Level Pension Insurance on Physical and Mental Health Among the Elderly: An Empirical Analysis Based on CHARLS 2018 Data. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,189,66-74.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICMRED 2025 Symposium: Effective Communication as a Powerful Management Tool

ISBN:978-1-80590-179-2(Print) / 978-1-80590-180-8(Online)
Editor:Lukáš Vartiak
Conference date: 30 May 2025
Series: Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences
Volume number: Vol.189
ISSN:2754-1169(Print) / 2754-1177(Online)

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References

[1]. Chen, Q., Zhang, X., & Hao, Y. (2024). The impact of basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents on the health and inequality of the elderly population. Population Journal, 46(6), 77–94.

[2]. Cai, W., Li, B., & Fei, Y. (2024). The impact of pension insurance system convergence on workers' participation behavior. Economic Perspectives, 2024(2), 88–106.

[3]. Yang, J., Deng, D., & Wu, H. (2018). The family income effect of China's urban and rural residents' pension insurance system—A counterfactual estimation based on propensity score matching (PSM). Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 2018(10), 84–95.

[4]. Dushi, I., Iams, H. M., & Trenkamp, B. (2017). The importance of social security benefits to the income of the aged population. Social Security Bulletin, 77(2), 1 - 12.

[5]. Song, J., & Gao, C. (2023). Basic pension insurance system and income inequality among residents: Impact and mechanism analysis—From the perspective of individual relative deprivation. Journal of Southwest Minzu University (Humanities and Social Science Edition), 2023(2), 153–164.

[6]. Etgeton, S. (2018). The effect of pension reforms on old - age income inequality. Labour Economics, 53, 146 - 161.

[7]. Xu, Q., Zhang, K., & Zhou, Y. (2023). Traditional security, pension insurance, and rural residents' concerns about old-age support. Zhejiang Social Sciences, 2023(8), 80–89.

[8]. Chen, T., Wang, K., Lan, B., Mo, L., Peng, W., & Song, L. (2021). Analysis of urban-rural heterogeneity in the health status of the elderly—Based on 2015 CHARLS tracking survey data. Rural Economy and Science-Technology, 32(21), 265–270.

[9]. Zhu, X., Gu, N., Chen, Q., & Gao, L. (2024). The impact of long-term care insurance on the subjective well-being of the elderly—An empirical analysis based on CHARLS panel data. Chinese Health Service Management, 41(3), 264–268.

[10]. Chen, T., Wang, K., Lan, B., Mo, L., Peng, W., & Song, L. (2021). Analysis of urban-rural heterogeneity in the health status of the elderly—Based on 2015 CHARLS tracking survey data. Rural Economy and Science-Technology, 32(21), 265–270.

[11]. Huang, Q., & Fang, S. (2022). The impact of the pension insurance system on the health of the elderly: Evidence from Chinese urban residents. On Economic Problems, 2022(8), 29–38.

[12]. Pak, T. Y. (2021). What are the effects of expanding social pension on health? Evidence from the Basic Pension in South Korea. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 18, 100287.

[13]. Lei, X., Bai, C., Hong, J., & Liu, H. (2022). Long-term care insurance and the well-being of older adults and their families: Evidence from China. Social Science & Medicine, 296, 114745.

[14]. Zhang, L., Wei, Q., Liu, H., Ma, Y., Zhao, B., Li, S., & Chen, S. (2024). The impact of long-term care insurance on the physical and mental health of the elderly in China. Medicine and Society, 37(8), 72–77.

[15]. Pu, X., Wang, Y., & Zhao, H. (2022). Basic pension insurance, interpersonal consumption, and rural residents' risk perception—A comparative analysis from the perspective of formal and informal institutions. Comparative Economic & Social Systems, 2022(1), 105–117.

[16]. Liu, Q., & Liu, S. (2019). The poverty reduction effect of rural basic pension insurance—An empirical analysis based on PSM-DID. Population and Development, 25(3), 38–46.

[17]. Qin, C., & Guo, J. (2021). Analysis of China’s New Rural Society Pension System. Journal of Quantitative & Technical Economics, 38(5), 52 - 71.

[18]. Lu, M., & Feng, M. (2008). Reforming the Welfare System in the People’s Republic of China. Asian Development Review, 25(1&2), 58 - 80.

[19]. Wei, S., Xiang, J., & Ma, G. (2018). The Estimation and Potential Impact of the Central Adjustment Fund for Basic Endowment Insurance. Tax and Economic Research, 23(6), 1 - 5.

[20]. Zhang, X., & Fang, Q. (2017). Research on the appropriate contribution base of pension insurance for China's urban low-income groups. The Journal of Quantitative & Technical Economics, 34(9), 122–139.

[21]. Chetty, R., & Hendren, N. (2018). The impacts of neighborhoods on intergenerational mobility II: County-level estimates. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(3), 1163-1228.

[22]. Shang, X., & Lei, H. (2024). The subjective social stratification effect of the basic pension security system—An analysis based on CLDS2018 data. Sociological Review of China, 2024(5), 234–256.

[23]. Chen, Y., Zhao, L., Fan, Y., & Xie, B. (2021). Does the New Rural Pension Scheme improve residents’ livelihoods? Empirical evidence from Northwestern China. PLoS ONE, 16(4), e0250130. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250130.

[24]. She, X., & Wu, J. (2014). Comparison of mental health status between urban and rural elderly. China Journal of Health Psychology, 22(2), 237–239.

[25]. Shang, X., & Lei, H. (2024). The subjective social stratification effect of the basic pension security system—An analysis based on CLDS2018 data. Sociological Review of China, 2024(5), 234–256.