The need for a National Dependency System providing reasonable guarantees for the welfare of future generations is one of the pressing issues of our days. It also calls for tools and material for reflection and analysis so researchers, policy makers and society at large can make properly informed decisions with regard to the implementation of the recently enacted Law of Dependency.

This is precisely the value of this work, which starts from a comparison of the situation in Spain with that of other countries like the United States, Japan, Germany or Sweden with regard to their long-term care provision and dependency support services, before going on to use National Statistics Office data to calculate health and disability expectancy indicators for the Spanish population aged 65 and over.These measurements will allow estimates to be drawn up for the present and future costs of long-term care provision toelderly dependents for input to dependency support policies, and will aid towards the design of the formal care facilities and networks (public and private) needed to address the emerging demand.