Top 10 countries for older people
By Kirsten Hastings, 28 Jul 17
Dramatic increases in the number and proportion of older people is a struggle facing countries around the globe. Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Southern California have developed a barometer to assess, using five social and economic indicators, which are the best countries to grow old in.
“Now that previously unimagined numbers of older persons are living longer it is critical that we shift from our prior sole focus on the characteristics of individuals and their immediate environments to one that includes a strategy for the entire society to successfully adapt to an ageing population,” said research lead John Rowe, professor of health policy and ageing at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.
The Hartford Ageing Index tracks national sources of data for countries with older populations to identify which countries cope best with their ageing populations.
It uses five indicators to measure the health of ageing populations.
The index was developed for 30 countries at the outset and they are predominately based in Europe.
The report also did not state what age a person is considered an “older” person.
Click through the slides above to see how well different countries compared across each index.
