Introduction ~ Kathrin Komp and Stina Johansson;

Part One: Theoretical framework:

A demographer’s view: population structures tell a story about lifecourses ~ J. Scott Brown and Scott M. Lynch;

A lifecourse scholar’s view: lifecourses crystallise in demographic structures ~ Andreas Motel-Klingebiel;

Part Two: Critical perspectives:

Generations in ageing Finland: finding your place in the demographic structure ~ Antti Karisto and Ilkka Haapola;

Gender in ageing Portugal: following the lives of men and women ~ Karin Wall and Sofia Aboim;

Socioeconomic status in ageing Poland: a question of cumulative advantages and disadvantages ~ Konrad Turek, Jolanta Perek-Białas and Justyna Stypińska;

Ethnicity in ageing America: a tale of cultures and lifecourse ~ Takashi Yamashita, Timothy S. Melnyk, Jennifer R. Keene, Shannon M. Monnat and Anna C. Smedley;

The urban–rural split in ageing Australia: diverging lifecourses, diverging experiences ~ Rachel Winterton and Jeni Warburton;

Part Three: Practical implications:

The individual in ageing Germany: how the self-employed plan for their old age ~ Annette Franke;

Families in ageing Netherlands and ageing China: redefining intergenerational contracts in lengthened lives ~ Fleur Thomese and Zhen Cong;

Social care in ageing Sweden: learning from the life stories of care recipients ~ Stina Johansson;

The labour market in ageing Sweden: lifecourse influences on workforce participation ~ Mikael Stattin and Daniel Larsson;

The state in ageing Canada: from old-age policies to lifecourse policies ~ Kathrin Komp and Patrik Marier;

Discussion and conclusion ~ Stina Johansson and Kathrin Komp.