An elderly man takes part in a rally to commemorate International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, May 1, 2014. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
An elderly man takes part in a rally to commemorate International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, May 1, 2014. Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko

The Global AgeWatch Index 2014 has ranked New Zealand as tenth best country in the world to grow old in. The country made it to the Top 10 list, beating Australia and the UK in an international assessment by researchers from HelpAge International and the University of Southampton.

According to reports, the list assessed and ranked 96 countries based on the social and economic well-being of older people. The elderly represent 90 percent of the world's population of people over 60 years of age. The Global AgeWatch Index revealed that the well-being of senior citizens is influenced by health, income, personal capabilities and a positive social environment.

Researchers said the number of senior citizens will increase from 12 percent of the global population to more than 20 percent by 2050. The report suggests that supporting the aging population would become a bigger priority in the future.

Sally Keeling, a medicine department senior lecturer at Otago University in Christchurch, told the Science Media Centre that the Global AgeWatch Index was useful based from a research using methodology for international comparison. Keeling said New Zealand can be proud of its ranking, but there are key areas where future development is important.

In terms of health, the older people of New Zealand rank ninth. However, the Maori and Pacific people have shorter life expectancies compared to the average human, said Keeling. New Zealand elders are sixth in the world based on personal capability which reflects the country's high standards of compulsory education.

In income security, the country ranked low at 27th in the world despite data showing New Zealand having high rates of people working over 65. The lowest ranking for the elderly population was in the area of "enabling environment." This would suggest New Zealand lacks social and civic participation for the elderly. An enabling environment for older people includes support for accessible public transport and physical safety.

Australia has ranked 13th in the GlobalAgeWatch Index with one out of three older people living in poverty. News Corp reports that Ian Yates, senior citizen group chief executive, said the report should be treated as a wake-up call for the Australian government to rethink the shelving of age pension for older Australians.

Top 10 Countries in Global AgeWatch Index 2014:

1. Norway

2. Sweden

3. Switzerland

4. Canada

5. Germany

6. Netherlands

7. Iceland

8. USA

9. Japan

10. New Zealand