The United Nations has just unveiled the 2013 Global Age Watch Index, that is to say the ranking of countries where it is good to live for the elderly. In this report, 91 countries were ranked according to income security, health status, environment and employment of older people. These 91 countries represent 89% of the world’s population aged 60 and over.
“The extension of the lifespan in the world is a victory for development. But by 2050 – that is, in less than 40 years – people aged 60 and over will represent more than a fifth of the world’s population. However, efforts still need to be made to enable the elderly to develop to their full potential, ”we read in the preamble to this report.
The global ranking of countries shows that older people are doing better in the Nordic countries of Europe, North America and a few East Asian countries. In first place in this ranking, we therefore find Sweden, which is among the “top 10” in four areas: income security, state of health, employment and education, favorable environment. Sweden is closely followed by Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada. The United States arrives in 8e position in this ranking, Great Britain in 13e position and France … in 18e position, ahead of Chile and Slovenia.
We are however in 2e position with regard to income security because a very large majority of the elderly receive a retirement pension. But these are our bad 31e place in the state of health of the elderly and 41e place with regard to the employment of seniors (only 39.7% of the population aged 55 to 64 is employed, which leaves many elderly people in a precarious situation) which puts us in a very bad position in this world ranking .
It should be noted, without any real surprise, that it is Afghanistan that comes in very last position in this ranking, behind Tanzania and Pakistan.
