Skip to main content
Log in

To be, or not to be, that is the question: An empirical study of the WTP for an increased life expectancy at an advanced age

  • Published:
Journal of Risk and Uncertainty Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study reports an attempt to measure the value of an increased survival probability at advanced ages. It turns out that the average willingness to pay for a program which would increase the expected length of life by one year, conditional on having survived to the age of 75 years, is lower than $1,500. The willingness to pay increases with a person's age, but at a low and seemingly constant rate (1–4 percent per year).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AmemiyaTakeshi, (1981). “Qualitative Response Models: A Survey,”Journal of Economic Literature 19, 1483–1536.

    Google Scholar 

  • BrooksRichard G., StefanJendteg, BjörnLindgren, UlfPersson, and StefanBjörk. (1991). “EuroQol: Healthrelated Quality of Life Measurement. Results of the Swedish Questionnaire Exercise,”Health Policy 18, 37–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • CaputoMichael R. (1990). “How to do Comparative Dynamics on the Back of an Envelope in Optimal Control Theory,”Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 14, 655–683.

    Google Scholar 

  • CropperMaureen L., Sema K.Aydede, and Paul R.Portney (1994). “Preferences for Life Saving Programs: How the Public Discounts Time and Age,”Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 8, 243–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • EhrlichIsaac, and HiroyukiChuma. (1990). “A Model of the Demand for Longevity and the Value of Life Extension,”Journal of Political Economy 98, 761–782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johannesson, Magnus, and Per-Olov Johansson. (1995a). “Is the Value of a Life-year Gained Independent of Age? Some Empirical Results.” Mimeo, Stockholm School of Economics.

  • Johannesson, Magnus, and Per-Olov Johansson. (1995b). “Quality of Life and the WTP for an Increased Life Expectancy at an Advanced Age.” Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance No. 85, Stockholm School of Economics.

  • JohanssonPer-Olov. (1995).Evaluating Health Risks. An Economic Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, Per-Olov, and Karl-Gustaf Löfgren. (1994). “Comparative Dynamics in Health Economics: Some Useful Results.” Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance No. 17, Stockholm School of Economics.

  • KriströmBengt. (1990). “A Non-parametric Approach to the Estimation of Welfare Measures in Discrete Response Valuation Studies,”Land Economics 66, 135–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaFranceJeffrey T., and L. DwayneBarney. (1991). “The Envelope Theorem in Dynamic Optimization,”Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 15, 355–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeungSiu Fai. (1994). “Uncertain Lifetime, the Theory of the Consumer, and the Life Cycle Hypothesis,”Econometrica 62, 1233–1239.

    Google Scholar 

  • MooreMichael J., and W. KipViscusi. (1990). “Models for Estimating Discount Rates for Long-term Health Risks Using Labor Market Data,”Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 3, 381–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • MooreMichael J., and W. KipViscusi. (1988). “The Quantity-adjusted Value of Life,”Economic Inquiry 26, 369–388.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (1993). “Report of the NOAA Panel on Contingent Valuation,”Federal Register 58, 4601–4614.

    Google Scholar 

  • ReadyRichard C., John C.Whitehead, and Glenn C.Blomquist. (1995). “Contingent Valuation when Respondents are Ambivalent,”Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 29, 181–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • RosenSherwin. (1988). “The Value of Changes in Life Expectancy,”Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 1, 285–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • SeierstadAtle, and KnutSydsaeter. (1987).Optimal Control Theory with Economic Applications. New York: North-Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • ViscusiW. Kip. (1992).Fatal Tradeoffs, Public & Private Responsibilities for Risk. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ViscusiW. Kip, and MichaelJ. Moore. (1989). “Rates of Time Preference and Valuations of the Duration of Life,”Journal of Public Economics 38, 297–317.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Johannesson, M., Johansson, PO. To be, or not to be, that is the question: An empirical study of the WTP for an increased life expectancy at an advanced age. J Risk Uncertainty 13, 163–174 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00057866

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00057866

Key words

JEL Classification

Navigation