Switzerland is the best place for older people to live, according to a new report that assesses the social and economic well-being of the older population in 96 countries around the world.
The Global AgeWatch Index represents 91 percent of the world’s population that is 60 and older, amounting to some 901 million people. It measures four key areas: income, health, education and employment, and the enabling environment. HelpAge International released the report in collaboration with the University of Southampton.
The four main findings of the study are:
- The top five countries in order are Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Canada. The UK ranks tenth, one spot behind the United States. Apart from Japan, which is ranked eighth, the top spots are taken by advanced countries in Western Europe and North America. Afghanistan is ranked last at 96.
- Countries at the top of the list are those that invest in improving the lives of older people by implementing policies that promote social pensions, universal healthcare, and enabling physical and social environments.
- African countries make up half of those with low income security rankings and poor health results. The region requires more research and policy interventions than any other studied.
- Greece (79), Venezuela (76), and Turkey (75) are in a similar position to sub-Saharan African and Asian countries.
“This index is vital in representing the lives of older people in countries around the world as it enables us to compare not just their pension income and health but also the age friendly environments in which they live,” says Asghar Zaidi of the Center for Research on Aging at the University of Southampton.
“The index has also shown that a number of countries still lack vital statistics of older people, and we would like to see them feature in the report in the future.
