AGING, WEALTH, AND PROSOCIALITY - Insights From Large Nationally Representative Surveys

Sep 29, 2026

Socioemotional selectivity theory links shorter future time horizons to greater emphasis on emotional meaning, predicting that prosocial behavior such as charitable giving increases with age. Using Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances data, adults 55+ held 73% of U.S. national wealth in 2022, up from 53% in 1989. Panel Study on Income Dynamics results (2023, N=7,694) show older adults donate more often and larger amounts, and are more likely to volunteer and contribute more hours. Effects persist after controlling for wealth, race, and marital status.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Aging and prosocial behavior

Wealth concentration among older adults

Evidence from national surveys

FAQs

What does socioemotional selectivity theory predict about aging and prosociality?

It predicts that as older adults perceive shorter future time horizons, they prioritize emotional meaning, which can increase prosocial behavior such as charitable giving.

How did older adults’ share of national wealth change from 1989 to 2022?

Using the Survey of Consumer Finances, adults 55+ increased their share of national wealth from 53% in 1989 to 73% in 2022.

What prosocial behaviors were measured in the national survey analysis?

Donation likelihood and donation amounts, and volunteering likelihood and hours volunteered were analyzed using the Panel Study on Income Dynamics.

Sep 29, 2026

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