A new barometer has been developed that estimates how countries are adapting to the increases in the number and proportion of elderly people. This Index is composed of specific measures across social and economic indicators that reflect the status and wellbeing of older persons in a country.
The five countries in the index coping best with their aging populations are: Norway, Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands and Japan.
A new Index of Societal Aging
Researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, with the support of The John A. Hartford Foundation, have developed a new barometer that estimates how countries are adapting to the increases in the number and proportion of older persons.
A sample analysis of the data shows that the five countries in the index coping best with their aging populations are: Norway, Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands and Japan.
“Interestingly, the Index demonstrates that the United States (…) has done well in keeping older Americans financially secure, productive, and engaged,” noted Dana Goldman, PhD, Distinguished Professor.
5 economic and social indicators
This Index is based on 5 economic and social indicators that reflect the status and well-being of aging residents in 30 countries, from the United States to western Europe.
- Productivity and Engagement: Measures connectedness within and outside the workforce.
- Well-being: Measures the state of being healthy.
- Equity: Measures gaps in well-being and economic security between the haves and have-nots.
- Cohesion: Measures across generations and social connectedness
- Security: Measures support for retirement and physical safety.
> Read more: Best places in the world to retire in 2017
Published by the Editorial Staff on
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Norway is considered to be a developed nation. The developmental stage of a nation is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to, economic prosperity, life expectancy, income equality, and quality of life. As a developed nation, Norway is able to provide its citizens with social services like public education, healthcare, and law enforcement.