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Best countries for older people: SL is 36

1 October 2013 10:22 am - 19     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Sri Lanka is the 36th place in the global index for the best countries for the older people while Sweden is the number one; Afghanistan is the worst, a study shows.
 
While Sweden's top ranking – followed by Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada – may be predictable, the Global AgeWatch index throws up some surprising results. The Global AgeWatch Index is the first global index to rank countries according to the social and economic wellbeing of older people.
 
The US, the world's richest country, languishes in eighth place, while the UK fails to make the top 10, residing instead at No 13. Sri Lanka ranks 36, well above Pakistan at 89, despite similar levels of gross domestic product (GDP). Bolivia and Mauritius score higher than the size of their economies may suggest, while the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China are a mixed bag. Brazil and China rank relatively high on the index; India and Russia sit much lower.
 
"This survey shows that history counts," said Mark Gorman, director of the HelpAge International advocacy group. "The top-ranked countries are what you would expect, but Scandinavian countries were not wealthy when they [introduced] universal pensions.
 
"The older population in Sri Lanka today is benefiting from good basic education and healthcare – those countries made certain policy choices.
 
Everybody faces scarce resources, but they should not forget that when they make investment decisions, they should also address issues of old age."
 
The ageing index is calculated using 13 indicators under four headings: income security, healthcare, employment and education, and an enabling environment. All indicators have equal weight, except for pension income coverage, life expectancy at 60, healthy life expectancy at 60, and psychological wellbeing. These categories were given increased weighting because of better data quality, and countries were included only if there was sufficient data.
 
While the enabling environment for older people in Pakistan is perceived as very poor, older Sri Lankans rank their social connections, physical safety and civic freedom highly. This, and Sri Lanka’s overall position in the Index, is consistent with the country’s HDI ranking. We have already noted how Sri Lanka’s current over-60s have benefited from progressive social welfare programmes earlier in their lives, which may also be an important contribution to later life satisfaction.
 
Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s overall index value of 57.3 means that older people’s wellbeing in Sri Lanka is 57.3 per cent of the ideal (100), giving it a shortfall of 32.6 percentage points below the best-performing country, Sweden (89.9).

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  Comments - 19

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  • ind Wednesday, 02 October 2013 02:54 AM

    Nothing can be done for their endless eagerness. It is called their fate.

    Take it Easy Thursday, 03 October 2013 06:18 AM

    Srilanka is the best Country for Politicians without doubt.

    Take it Easy Thursday, 03 October 2013 06:17 AM

    Srilanka is the best Country for Politicians.

    sapphire Thursday, 03 October 2013 06:14 AM

    GHFG : They will be idiots ever and forever.

    Premalal Thursday, 03 October 2013 02:04 AM

    Let's get old fast. May be then we'll have a good life.

    mevan Thursday, 03 October 2013 12:26 AM

    Don't they calculate an index for countries with best served politicians?

    Cobra Wednesday, 02 October 2013 01:23 PM

    ..not forgetting old people!

    ghfghdfgh Wednesday, 02 October 2013 10:17 AM

    What about the old idiots who voted for this govt?

    Aceman Wednesday, 02 October 2013 08:51 AM

    Well said Andrew!

    dr ceylon Wednesday, 02 October 2013 08:36 AM

    sri lanka is the best country for criminals,worst country for children and honest people and jurnalists.

    Kiris Baba Amaray Tuesday, 01 October 2013 10:43 AM

    For sure SriLanka will not come below 10 as daily we could see a decaying tree.

    Cobra Wednesday, 02 October 2013 02:54 AM

    I am sure there would have been a computer jilmart in the case of SL because there is simply no recognition of old people here!!!

    As It Is Wednesday, 02 October 2013 12:21 AM

    The reference here is not on children looking after their elders but the state's Providence for their contribution towards the development in their halcyon days. An Aussie Prime Minister had two MP's, male and female, live a week on a pensioner"s salary and report their findings which turned out to be ''lmpossible'' andi increased the pentions of the elders. Our politicians will never make any such sacrifices.

    lankan Tuesday, 01 October 2013 11:14 PM

    No wonder people from India are all over the world and very soon they will be taking over certain countries. Then it will be another Indian country.

    Asanka Thennakoon Tuesday, 01 October 2013 11:04 PM

    Of course true

    & worst country for young people too.
    Every decade many get killed on roads and rest risk their life on boats for Italy and Australia.

    kondebendapucheena Tuesday, 01 October 2013 04:12 PM

    We Sri Lankans do take care of our elders except few mornos

    ANTON Tuesday, 01 October 2013 02:50 PM

    SEEMS THE JUDGES HAVE SEEN OUR PRIME MINISTER.

    Andrew Pitugala Tuesday, 01 October 2013 12:52 PM

    Those so called old people contributed to what we enjoy today. Remember those young people of today will be old people in about thirty years time. So please respect the elderly and provid for them.

    Ryan Tuesday, 01 October 2013 10:47 AM

    Thats easily acceptable, but only till MR is there, in 2003 then govt tried to remove pension and all it led to direct defeat of that govt


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