Iceland: A Good Place To Grow Old

A new report from Global Age Watch puts Iceland in 7th place amongst the best countries in the world to grow old.

According to the report, Norway is officially the best country in the world to grow older, while Afghanistan is the worst. Iceland has held its position in the top ten due to the life expectancy and financial security, amongst other factors.

Icelanders aged 60 years old today can expect to live another 25 years; 17.8 of those in good health. 100% of the population over 65 receives some kind of pension, with only 1.6% living in poverty. In fact, Iceland ranks 3rd in the world when it comes to income security for the aged.

In terms of possible room for improvement, the report states that only just over 40% of those over 60 have a degree from a secondary school or higher, and only 63% of those over 50 said they were satisfied with the local public transportation system. These were the lowest rankings Iceland received in any of the report’s categories.

Currently, 18.3% of Iceland’s population is over 60. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 29.8%. This is slightly higher than the predicted global average for 2050, which is 21%.