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NewsWhere’s the best place in the world to grow old?
Where’s the best place in the world to grow old?

Where’s the best place in the world to grow old?

Tags: Cost of Living
Last updated by Jess Lindell on

Om5tVYTAnd the Winner is Norway, according to the 2014 Global AgeWatch Index, which ranks the quality of life for the elderly.

Norway tops the list of 96 countries with Australia ranking 13th overall, behind Canada, Japan, the US, New Zealand and other western European nations.

The report highlights that while pension coverage has increased across the globe, overall social and economic policies are failing to keep pace with changing demographics.

Alarmingly Australia ranked 61st in terms of income security, which assess a person’s access to money and their capacity to spend it independently.

Australia scored below average on pension coverage and welfare rates and we have the highest old age poverty rate at 35.5 per cent in our region, which includes Western Europe, North America and Australasia.

This isn’t new, only recently we wrote about the increasing number of older Australians retiring overseas to make their money go further.

But it does beg the question why is Australia ranked so poorly for income security despite being a wealthy nation?

The fact that we don’t have a universal pension may skew the income security findings according to news.com.

COTA warns that any further adverse changes to the pension, such as cuts to payments or raising the pension age will only make things worse.

Whilst the results on income security raise alarm bells, Australia ranked exceptionally well in all other areas such as health and employment.

So what makes Norway the winner?

In Norway you’ll find some of the richest pensioners in the world thanks to an oil funded pension scheme, as well as some age friendly policies and concessions.

In fact, everyone over the age of 67 gets a monthly state pension and pay half price for public transport. Furthermore, 70 per cent of people aged between 55 and 64 are in full-time jobs.

On the other hand, Norway consistently ranks as one of the most expensive countries in the world.

And.. well… it’s freezing, with temperatures reaching below -40°C during the winter months and you’re looking at averages of around 15°C during the summer months. No thanks.

Would you want to grow old overseas? Share your thoughts below.

Originally posted on .

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Susan
Susan from NSW commented:

I can not totally agree with that report. I originally come from the US. I know if not in the right job all your life, Senior care is very difficult.. Almost not existing in some cases...As is the medical care. I am glad I am here, even though I know I would have had a good job in the US. As for Senior cards going to co family members if not 60, I don't agree.. You could have a wife or husband many years your junior..They can wait. I had 5 years to wait from my husband..No big deal.. I was also still working, so again, no problem.. I do believe this government has had a difficult time with the debt Labor has gotten everyone in. As said, previously, that is Labor's way... Spend and promise and spend what you don't have. Then complain about the Liberals when they come in for trying to balance the books..Not sure if I would say I agree with all their decisions, but better than Labor's. 

Lynn
Lynn from QLD commented:

The reason for this embarrassingly inequitable situation is, I believe, due to our Government, over the last twenty years, spending more on 'our international obligations' than looking after it's own citizens first combined with the complete disrepect of the elderly and the contributions they have made over their lifetime to Australia's prosperity. You just have to look around to observe what has happened, and continues to happen, in the workplace and the community generally. Those over 50 are fiercely discriminated against when seeking employment or when redundancies occur. The majority of the younger generation seems to echo the Government's opinion that Seniors are a burden on our country and don't deserve to be supported. Just look to Mr Abbott's/Mr Hockey's proposal to cap pensions, the introduction of Doctor co-payments (now thankfully dead) to see how little esteem Seniors are held in their estimation. Until Seniors are given more respect from our Government, which in turn will carry over to the general public, there circumstances will not change. 

Roelf
Roelf from VIC commented:

Somewhere near your friends and family. Unless you value assets above relationships. 

John
John from NSW commented:

I have previously highlighted to this club a problem where, if a seniors card holders partner is under 60, that partner is not eligible for a seniors card. Only the partner who is over 60 is eligible. The result is that, with only one partner is entitled to the seniors discount, many trips and events become unaffordable to both partners. My suggested idea is to allow over 55 year old partners of over 60 seniors card holders to be eligible to a seniors card if they satisfy all other criteria. Unfortunately, when I suggested this to FiftyUp Club I was shrugged off. It would be good if this club could do some lobbying for us in this matter. 

Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT replied to John:

So if a 60 yo marries a 25 yo, the 25 yo should be entitled to a "seniors card"??????? Sorry, but I totally disagree with you! 

John
John from NSW replied to Gertraud:

It appears you have a literacy problem, Gertrude. If you read my comment, I mentioned a minimum age of over 55 years for the partner and meeting all other criteria. 

Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT replied to John:

I was fully aware that you said 55, I was being facetious. It's quite obvious you speak about your own circumstances, where you are over 60 and no longer working and your partner is under 60 and not working. So you want your partner to have the seniors card. So where do you draw the line? If you had a 25 yo partner, you would still be pushing for a seniors card (or a card that covers you both), as trips and events would be just as unaffordable as they are for you and your partner. The commencement age of 60 is quite generous when you consider that pension entitlement age is currently 65. 

Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT replied to John:

Oh, and the literacy problem is entirely yours! When you use someone's name, get the spelling right! 

John
John from NSW replied to Gertraud:

Gertraud, I sincerely apologise for misspelling your name. I do not wish to become embroiled in an ongoing argument in this matter, so I will attempt to clarify my point this one time. I do NOT propose that 25 year olds be able to get a seniors card under ANY circumstances. My point is that in most marriages, one partner or the other is younger, be it the husband or the wife. Sometimes this gap may be several years. (In my case,(I am 67 & still working part time)) it is 8 years but one of my brothers' wife is 3 years older than him.) There are many couples where the main money earner loses his or her job through whatever circumstances, be it ill health, redundancy or any number of things and are unable to get another job, a seniors card for both partners may be the difference between enjoying a well earned retirement or struggling to enjoy life in the latter days of their lives, then something like a seniors card can make a huge difference. 

Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT replied to John:

I still disagree with you and you haven't stated where you would draw the line, other than you consider that a partner who is 8 years younger than you, should be entitled to the card from the time you are entitled to it. So if you retired from full-time employment at age 60 which is the earliest you can obtain the card, your wife would have been 52. Using your argument, she should have been entitled to a seniors card because you were. It is called "seniors card" for a reason, with the age of the card holder being the primary criterion, with residency and employment status secondary criteria. Getting back to your wife, assuming she would have received a seniors card at the age of 52, how fair would that have been to, let's say someone like myself. I left my second-last full-time job at the age of 58 and started my last job six months later. As a divorcee I still had the sole care and responsibility for my youngest son who was then 14 and in high school. During the period of my unemployment - and I had no guarantee that I would obtain another job, I was two years short of becoming entitled to the seniors card, but met the other criteria. Had I known of a person 6 years my junior with a card, I would have pointed my finger at that person and argued that either a card would be granted to me, or the other person's card taken away! As it turned out, I did not have a seniors card until I was 66 years of age, when I retired from full-time employment. 

John
John from NSW replied to Gertraud:

My dear Gertraud, I have made my point quite clearly. The fact that you can't see it is not for me to argue with because as my late mother used to say, never argue with a fool as you can't win and will only meet despair. It appears you have an axe to grind and will not see any argument other than your own. Please believe me, I am not attacking you, only your blindness to something that affects a huge number of people. To make my point clear for the last time, If someone loses their job for whatever reason, be it ill health, company job shedding or any other reason, and cannot get another job, both getting a seniors card could mean the difference between them enjoying a better (not lavish) lifestyle or not. 

Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT replied to John:

Oh, how right your mother was, you are showing yourself as a blind, condescending fool and I do not appreciate the manner in which you addressed me! Let me state it again, the seniors card is for people aged 60 and over and it is the holder that must meet the criteria, not their spouses. If you cannot get that into your skull, then I feel sorry for you! I have asked you a number of times where you draw the line, but the only thing you can see is that you want an exception made because it affects your personal circumstances. To make my point clear as well, in order for an individual to qualify for a seniors card, they must first be 60 years of age before any of the other criteria take effect. 

Michael
Michael from QLD commented:

Oil funded says it all, ALL the strongest economies fund social programs from resources, narrow the gap between rich and poor and enjoy a higher participation rate of Women in the work force if we want to enjoy the same we need to support those who represent that 

Julie
Julie from QLD commented:

how about recognising aussie carers as aussie workers, and pay us more than 1.50 an hour ?? 

Christine
Christine from NSW commented:

Having just witnessed the distress our own banks have had on our farmers, I can only think we are not the best place in the world to grow old. Poor Charlie Phillott who was forced off his farm via foreclosure even when making his repayments to the bank. They devalued the farm and told him to pay the mortgage! He is 80, he could not, especially with the worst drought ever taking place in Winton and areas around there. Where are their hearts? Greed is such a dirty word. We all own shares in these banks, either via shares or via our Superannuation funds. We have to tell them this is not acceptable behaviour. Keep the farmers on their land and when the rains fall, they will be viable once more. 

Mike
Mike from NSW replied to Christine:

Yes Regulate the MASSIVE PROFIT banks -- stop forclosures -- Fair go for farmers affected by natural catastrophies. Cut foreign Aid and make it LOCAL AID as first priority. Control immigration to a level that can be assimilated . 

Alain
Alain from NSW replied to Christine:

Farmers must lobby the government to have the dramatic changes in our climate seriously addressed, or they will soon discover that there is much much worse than the banks to put them out of business... 

Henry
Henry from NSW commented:

What Australia needs is to get rid of The Abbott Government only then will it be a good place to grow old. 

Christine
Christine from NSW replied to Henry:

Living in debt? 

Kerry
Kerry from NSW replied to Henry:

Sorry Henry, it was the previous Labor Government that plunged us into debt, we now pay about 1 Billion AUD a month in interest alone. 

Bev
Bev from QLD replied to Kerry:

I agree we always have to pick up the pieces from labour debacles 

Mike
Mike from NSW replied to Henry:

Henry -- Labor only knows how to SPEND and BORROW from overseas -- Your grandchildren will love you for the poor living standard they will inherit from this massive debt and interest expense. You will not care because you will be dead 

Jill
Jill from VIC commented:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is a wonderful place to grow old for self-funded retirees. The climate is mild - they rarely get snow, and the cost of living is about half of that in Australia. It is very hard to get permanent residency without being a multi-millionaire but anyone is welcome to buy property there and can then stay 6 months every year. The public transit system is very efficient and easy to operate and people are friendly and helpful and it is a very safe place to live. It is also breathtakingly beautiful with towering mountains, ocean and rivers with a 1000 national park right downtown. 

Kevin
Kevin from VIC commented:

Just wish I had the guts to do it. We are just ripped off so much in this country. This is no longer the Australia I grew up in. 

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