Public opinion researchers have long known that elderly people are most concerned with such existential issues as sufficient material security, good health, and personal potential to participate in society. For this reason, the Global AgeWatch index is calculated based on four basic indicators:
• material security (including pension provision in the country, poverty level in old age, relative well-being of the elderly, and GDP per capita),
• health status (including life expectancy and psychological health),
• personal potential (including employment of the elderly and their education level),
• enabling environment (including social connections, physical safety, civil liberties, and access to public transportation).
The 2014 index was calculated based on the most current and reliable recent data from international sources, comparable across 96 countries, which are home to 89% of the total elderly population aged 60 and over.
The leader in the 2014 index is Norway with the following indicators:
• 1st place in the overall global ranking (93.4 points on a 100-point scale),
• 1st place in the material security ranking (89.1 points),
• 16th place in the health status ranking (73.5 points),
• 1st place in the personal potential ranking (76.2 points),
• 4th place in the enabling environment ranking (80.1 points).
In second place is Sweden, third is Switzerland, fourth is Canada, fifth is Germany with the following indicators:
• material security: 15th place (80.5 points),
• health status of the elderly: 11th place (75.6 points),
• personal potential: 5th place (62.8 points),
• enabling environment: 11th place (78.6 points).
After Germany in the Global AgeWatch index follow the Netherlands (6th), Iceland (7th), USA (8th), Japan (9th), and New Zealand (10th). The second ten include: Great Britain, Denmark, Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, and Estonia.
The top twenty countries are characterized by high GDP per capita, significant pension levels, high availability of medical services, and a supportive social environment.
As for the former Soviet republics, the picture is as follows: Georgia in 28th place, Latvia in 35th, Armenia in 40th, Kyrgyzstan in 49th, Lithuania in 60th, Tajikistan in 61st, Belarus in 64th, Russia in 65th (due to a relatively high material security indicator: 72.9 points versus 65.0 for Belarus), Moldova in 74th, and Ukraine in 82nd (after Ghana but before Morocco).
Founded in 1983, the international charity HelpAge International, headquartered in London, advocates for the economic, social, and cultural rights of older people, especially in developing countries. It has 74 offices in more than 50 countries, including Germany (HelpAge Deutschland), and collaborates with over 300 partner organizations. It is a consultative member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). HelpAge International's activities are funded by public funds and private donations. The largest donors are the European Union and the British charity Help the Aged.
Sergei LYUSHIN.
«Russkaya Germania»