Canada Is One of The World’s Best Countries to Grow Old In

Canada Stays in Top 5 Countries to Grow Old In

First Published Date: Oct 13, 2013

Rcent study co-sponsored by the UN created Global AgeWatch Index by looking at 91 countries covering 89% of the world’s older citizens. The Index ranks older population in terms of social and economic well-being and is the first of its kind. Canada ranks high on this index, staying on 5th place. Sweden is on top of the list and Afghanistan on the bottom. Let’s look at the top ten countries:

1.   Sweden

2.   Norway

3.   Germany

4.   Netherlands

5.   Canada

6.   Switzerland

7.   New Zealand

8.   United States

9.   Iceland

10.   Japan

Here are some other facts from the report:

– The world’s envy, Canada’s universal health care system, generous old age benefits, and long life expectancy helped to achieve its 5th position.

– Countries like Sri Lanka, Bolivia, and Mauritius stay relatively high on the list, while countries like India, Pakistan, Russia stay on the lower side.

– Population ageing is happening faster in the poor developing countries. Two-thirds of the older population live in poor countries.

– South Korea, one of the richest and technologically advanced countries in Asia, surprisingly stays low on the index at 67.

– Bangladesh, a model for one of the world’s worst industrial disasters, is not on the list due to lack of old age data.

– By 2050, older population (older than 60) will outnumber younger population (younger than 15).