International Living magazine released the Annual Global Retirement Index, a ranking that evaluates the main destinations in the world for retirement. The survey evaluates the cost of living, health services, housing, visa, climate and ease of adaptation.
With humans living 20 years longer than the 1950 average and a growing number of people choosing to live their final decades in a country other than their home country, the list comes in handy.
This year, the new country that occupies first place stands out for thousands of picturesque islands and tourism, but the publication highlights that it goes beyond that and “has everything needed for a permanent stay as well.”
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Check out the complete ranking:
- Greece
The “golden visa” program, which guarantees residence to foreigners who make a minimum investment of 250 thousand euros, is one of the most accessible in Europe, according to the magazine. It also scored high on climate, health and real estate.
- Panama
The country is the leader with gaps in terms of visas and benefits. The Pensionados program, which targets retirees, offers interesting discounts, such as 50% off on entertainment, 30% on transport, 25% on airfares and 15% on medical bills.
- Costa Rica
Costa Rica is first in the ranking in terms of climate. 25% of its territory is protected forests and 99% of its energy is renewable.
- Portugal
The Portuguese are second only to France in the health category and also score well in climate and governance/development.
- Mexico
Mexico did well in the categories for visas and retiree benefits, as well as development and governance. International Living highlights that the roads are excellent, the internet is fast and the infrastructure is modern. In addition to a relatively low cost of living.
- Italy
The category in which Italy performed best was affinity, which measures the ease of integration into the environment. It also had a positive ranking in the health category.
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- France
According to the magazine, France has a first-rate universal health service, the highest in the entire ranking. It is also an attractive destination for its climate, culture and cuisine.
- Spain
Health and affinity services were the categories in which Spain performed best. However, the cost of living raises a red flag.
- Thailand
The country is among the destinations that scored best in cost of living, in addition to having positive highlights in climate, development and governance.
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- Malaysia
The cost of living, combined with development and governance, brought Malaysia into the top 10.
