The research, based on data from more than 40,000 people aged 50 plus from 11 European countries, shows that 63 per cent of people in England over 50 are grandparents, whereas in Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, two-thirds or more are over 65.
One in four English grandparents aged 50 and over are in paid employment, compared with an average of one in seven across the other 11 countries.
The study, which was carried out by the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London in partnership with Grandparents Plus, found that English grandparents were more likely to have more grandchildren than their European counterparts.
It also revealed that English grandparents, like Danish grandparents, are less likely to report poor health or depressive symptoms than elsewhere in Europe, but are more likely to have a disability.
Across the 12 European countries, grandparents are more likely to be poor than people of the same age who are not grandparents, with around one in four grandparents in the bottom 20 per cent of the wealth distribution.
Sam Smethers, chief executive of Grandparents Plus, said, ‘The high percentage of working grandparents in the UK underlines the need for the Government to introduce a right to request flexible working for all, to enable grandparents to balance employment with caring for their grandchildren.’
‘One in four working families already rely on grandparents for childcare. Rising childcare costs and squeezed family budgets mean grandparents are under increasing pressure to look after grandchildren while parents work. Yet grandparents, especially grandmothers, are expected to remain in work longer before they can draw a pension. There is a risk of a serious ‘care gap’ emerging here.
‘We want the Government’s recently-announced childcare review to consider the role of grandparents.’
The findings have been released ahead of the publication of a larger European study into the role of grandparents in family life next year.
They follow a study by Grandparents Plus earlier in the month which found that the UK is lagging behind other European countries in recognising the crucial role of grandparents.
