What's it like to grow old in YOUR country? Global index ranks the world based on quality of life for the over-60s

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

What's it like to grow old in YOUR country? Global index ranks the world based on quality of life for the over-60s

· The 2014 Global AgeWatch Index ranks 96 nations on the quality of life for the over 60s

· The index studies income, employment opportunities, access to public transport and life expectancy

· Norway and Sweden are currently the best countries to grow old in, and Afghanistan and Mozambique are the worst

· The United States is in 8th place, the UK is in 11th and Australia is in 13th

· Report predicts that by 2050, 21% of the global population will be over 60 - almost double the current 12% figure

· Data was only available for 96 countries, resulting in many not being included, such as Madagascar and Cuba

Across the world, life expectancy is steadily increasing and, on average a woman aged 60 today can expect to live until she is 82. For men, this is 79.

But the quality of life for this ageing population varies drastically from country to country.

Research has discovered that the best country to currently grow old in is Norway, followed by Sweden and Switzerland, while Afghanistan and Mozambique are the worst.

The US is in 8th place, the UK is in 11th and Australia is in 13th.

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The 2014 Global AgeWatch Index ranks 96 nations on the quality of life for the over 60s. Norway, Sweden and Canada are currently the best countries to grow old in. At the opposite end of the scale is Afghanistan, Mozambique and West Bank and Gaza. The US is in 8th place, the UK is in 11th and Australia is in 13th

BEST AND WORST COUNTRIES
TOP 10 COUNTRIES	BOTTOM 10 COUNTRIES
Norway	Afghanistan
Sweden	Mozambique
Switzerland	West Bank and Gaza
Canada	Malawi
Germany	Tanzania
Netherlands	Pakistan
Iceland	Jordan
US	Uganda
Japan	Zambia
New Zealand	Iraq

That’s according to findings from the 2014 Global AgeWatch Index.

It ranks 96 nations on the basis of the quality of life and social and economic status of older people, aged 60 and over.

The index studies four areas, in particular.

Income covers the state of pensions, relative welfare of older people, GDP in each country, and poverty rate in old age.

Health status includes life expectancy at 60 and psychological status.

Capability covers the employment level and educational status of older people, and ‘Enabling environment’ includes physical safety, social connections and access to public transport.

From this index, governments can use the findings to identify policies to improve the lives of their older people.

Based on the research, Norway is the best place for older people, alongside Sweden, Switzerland and Canada.

The UK ranked 11th overall, and 3rd for the enabling environment, but scored poorly for health, at 27th.

Globally, by 2050, the report claims the number of over 60s will be 21 per cent of the global population. This is almost double the current figure of 12 per cent.

Apart from Japan, the top ten countries are in Western Europe, North America and Australasia. Israel and Estonia join the top 20.

The older populations of the three lowest-ranked countries, the West Bank and Gaza, (94) Mozambique (95) and Afghanistan (96), still account for less than five per cent of the total population.

The proportion of over-80s is growing fastest, too – projected to rise from two per cent now to four per cent of the global population by 2050.

And more than a third of countries are falling significantly behind those at the top of the Global AgeWatch Index.

Globally, by 2050, the report claims the number of over 60s will be 21 per cent of the global population.This is almost double the current figure of 12 per cent. The proportion of over-80s is growing fastest, too – projected to rise from two per cent now to four per cent of the global population by 2050

The index studies four areas. Income covers the state of pensions, relative welfare of older people, GDP in each country, and poverty rate in old age. Health status includes life expectancy at 60 and psychological wellbeing. Capability covers the employment level and educational status of older people, and ‘Enabling environment’ includes physical safety, social connections and access to public transport. This graph reveals the top 50 countries

Professor Asghar Zaidi, from the Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Southampton, led the development of the index, working alongside HelpAge International.

‘The Index points to a mismatch between advances in longevity and a lag in the evolution of policies that empower older people,’ said Professor Zaidi.

‘Societies have been slow to embrace the positive aspects of longevity and to see older people as a resource that, in the right circumstances, can repay investment with extended working careers as well as more self-reliant, healthy and independent living.’

The report also highlights the disparity between those nations at the top of the index, and those in the lower third.

For example, on income security, 26 countries scored less than half the top values set by Norway and France (89.1 and 88.0 respectively).

Toby Porter, Chief Executive of HelpAge International, added: ‘The unprecedented rate and speed of population ageing presents policy-makers with a challenge.

'Only if they act now will they have a chance to meet the needs of their citizens and keep their economies going.’

‘An essential distinction is required between policies suitable for the current generations of older people and those required for future generations,’ continued Professor Zaidi.

‘Today’s older people need protection and empowerment. For future generations the focus must be on providing opportunities for employment during their working lives and better mechanisms to build resilience for old age.’

Sufficient data was only available for 96 countries, resulting in many not being included, including Kazakhstan, Madagascar and Cuba.

THE GLOBAL AGEWATCH INDEX

The 2014 Global AgeWatch Index ranks 96 nations on the basis of the quality of life and social and economic status of older people, aged 60 and over

The 2014 Global AgeWatch Index ranks 96 nations on the basis of the quality of life and social and economic status of older people, aged 60 and over.

The index studies four areas, in particular.

Income covers the state of pensions, relative welfare of older people, GDP in each country, and poverty rate in old age.

Health status includes life expectancy at 60 and psychological status.

Capability covers the employment level and educational status of older people, and ‘Enabling environment’ includes physical safety, social connections and access to public transport.

From this index, governments can use it to identify policies to improve the lives of older people.

The HelpAge charity shows how fast world's population is ageing