Washington DC: Switzerland is the world’s best place to grow old, closely followed by Norway and Sweden, as per the latest Global AgeWatch Index from HelpAge International and the University of Southampton.
The Global AgeWatch Index assesses the social and economic wellbeing of the older population in 96 countries around the world. The Index represents 91 per cent of the world’s population aged 60 and over, amounting to some 901 million people. It measures the lives of older people in four key areas: income; health; education and employment and the enabling environment.
The report highlights that Switzerland (1) tops the Index, alongside Norway (2), Sweden (3), Germany (4) and Canada (5). The UK (10) is also among the top 10 this year, along with USA (9).
Apart from Japan (8) all the top 10 countries are advanced countries in Western Europe and North America. Afghanistan (96) is ranked last.
Researcher Asghar Zaidi, of the Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Southampton, who led the development of the Index, working alongside HelpAge International, said that this Index is vital in representing the lives of older people in countries around the world as it enables people to compare not just their pension income and health, but also the age friendly environments in which they live.