A multi-year quantitative study of the experienced age-friendliness in The Hague: A tale of four personas.

As an active member of the Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, The Hague has been monitoring the progress over the years. In 2022, a second cross-sectional survey based on the Age Friendly Cities and Communities Questionnaire (AFCCQ) was conducted among 396 community-dwelling older citizens in the municipality. During times of the pandemic, scores for Social Participation went notably down, and scores for Respect and Social Inclusion increased. For the first time, based on survey data, four personas were found through cluster analysis. These personas ranged from the precariat and people with personal health issues with lower scores, to the silent majority without the limitations of health problems, and the upper echelon who score positively in all domains. Age-friendly policies in The Hague should focus particularly on the first two clusters through dedicated action plans, which would help steer efforts towards those most in need for support. This would help The Hague to become an age-friendly city for all, and not only for those living in good health and with sufficient financial means.