India no country for old men, Switzerland the best: Report

LONDON: India has emerged as among the worst places in the world to grow old.

The country has ranked 71 among 96 countries -much lower than most of its Southeast Asian neighbours -in the Global Age Watch Index by Britain's University of Southampton and Help Age International.

It scored lowest in healthcare for the elderly. An average 60-year-old in India is expected to live only 12.6 years in good health. Almost one in two elderly in India don't have relatives to count on, while two in five don't feel safe walking alone at night. One in three is not satisfied with the freedom of choice in their life while 30 per cent aren't happy with transportation system.

The index found Switzerland the best place for older people to live, followed by Norway and Sweden.



Asghar Zaidi, professor at University of Southampton, told TOI, "India's low ranking is mainly due to health status of older population. Health, when measured using the life expectancy at 60 is seven years less than what we experience in the UK. The income security of the elderly is also a concern. For example, the pension coverage for Indian elderly is very low (28.9 per cent) as opposed to China's 74.4 per cent."