The results are in for IL's 2013 Retirement Index! © Kikkerdirk; Fotolia.com
Our editors, correspondents and in-country experts were busy collecting the details for this latest edition of the Index months ago. Our in-house number crunchers have been analyzing the results for weeks.
Here we focus on the top 22 retirement destinations in the world, considering them across eight crucial categories: real estate, special retirement benefits, cost of living, ease of integration, entertainment and amenities, health care, retirement infrastructure and climate.
We’ve looked at everything from Internet penetration to the price of a beer. We’ve paid attention to the discounts and benefits you receive as a retiree. And we’ve asked important questions like: How easy is it to stay in touch with the folks back home? Is it easy to make friends? What is there to do? Is a car necessary?
This is a qualitative assessment exploring what matters most to you when you consider an overseas retirement spot. We don’t just look at hard numbers. We talk to the expats living there and ask for the details. What are the roads like? Is there a local health-care system? Would they—or do they—use it? How much does it cost?
When it comes to costs we looked at everything from the price of utilities, groceries, cable TV and a maid to real estate and rentals. In fact, when it comes to property, not only have we asked “how much?” We’ve also asked our real estate experts if that represents good value.
The results in this table tell the story.
| Country | Real Estate | Special Benefits | Cost of Living | Integration | E&A | Health | Ret. Infra | Climate | FINAL SCORES |
| Ecuador | 99 | 99 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 83 | 79 | 100 | 91.9 |
| Panama | 83 | 100 | 86 | 93 | 95 | 85 | 81 | 88 | 89.0 |
| Malaysia | 89 | 77 | 92 | 90 | 100 | 93 | 85 | 75 | 87.6 |
| Mexico | 92 | 71 | 82 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 | 78 | 85.1 |
| Costa Rica | 89 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 94 | 86 | 73 | 71 | 84.4 |
| Uruguay | 87 | 72 | 69 | 83 | 94 | 91 | 82 | 92 | 83.7 |
| Colombia | 94 | 75 | 70 | 90 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 86 | 83.0 |
| Spain | 87 | 57 | 80 | 83 | 96 | 80 | 93 | 83 | 82.5 |
| Thailand | 82 | 57 | 97 | 87 | 96 | 81 | 77 | 81 | 82.3 |
| Malta | 87 | 82 | 71 | 100 | 68 | 82 | 77 | 75 | 80.1 |
| Portugal | 75 | 69 | 86 | 67 | 81 | 82 | 95 | 85 | 80.1 |
| Nicaragua | 94 | 63 | 89 | 90 | 77 | 83 | 68 | 73 | 79.7 |
| Ireland | 78 | 79 | 67 | 97 | 84 | 73 | 85 | 73 | 79.5 |
| France | 72 | 82 | 57 | 64 | 100 | 89 | 87 | 85 | 79.5 |
| Philippines | 78 | 57 | 100 | 87 | 79 | 83 | 84 | 69 | 79.5 |
| New Zealand | 82 | 74 | 57 | 90 | 88 | 71 | 86 | 87 | 79.3 |
| Italy | 76 | 77 | 66 | 74 | 98 | 70 | 89 | 83 | 79.0 |
| Brazil | 80 | 70 | 80 | 60 | 76 | 84 | 69 | 85 | 75.5 |
| Chile | 85 | 69 | 81 | 57 | 88 | 78 | 83 | 57 | 74.8 |
| Honduras | 76 | 85 | 80 | 87 | 64 | 76 | 67 | 62 | 74.6 |
| Belize | 78 | 72 | 85 | 83 | 57 | 79 | 66 | 64 | 73.2 |
| Dom. Rep | 91 | 63 | 70 | 64 | 74 | 68 | 75 | 64 | 71.0 |
*E&A = Entertainment and Amenities;
Ret. Infra. = Retirement Infrastructure
See the 2013 Retirement Index article here.
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