Azerbaijan has not appeared on the Global Age Watch Index List of 2013

The charity, Help Age International, has published its first study of the Global Age Watch Index 2013 (measuring the quality of life of senior citizens).

The study showed that the best country for the elderly is Sweden. Second and third place were Norway and Germany, respectively. Estonia was at 29th place, ahead of Latvia and Lithuania.

Researchers have developed a technique by which they evaluated the quality of life and well-being of older people in 91 countries. The authors note that the number and proportion of people over the age of sixty is increasing worldwide. If in 2012, there were on the planet 809 million elderly people, who made up 11% of the world's total population, according to the forecast.  By the year 2050, their number will exceed two billion, amounting to nearly a quarter of the world's population, or 22 %.

To assess the quality of life, researchers chose 13 indicators in four key areas: financial security, health, employment, education, social environment.

It is expected that the rating is headed by the countries in northern and western Europe, and North America. The individual countries of East Asia and Latin America rose to good positions on the index.

In the top ten, descending in order are: the Netherlands (4th place ), Canada (5th), Switzerland (6th), New Zealand (7th), United States (8th), Iceland (9th) and Japan (10th).

Afghanistan came in last at 91st place. 

The authors of the index also note that, among the countries with the highest ratings was Sri Lanka at 36 and Bolivia at 46.

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in the world, but has arranged progressive policies for the elderly. The state has a National Plan on Aging, providing free medical services for the elderly and a social pension.

Estonia took 29th place in the ranking, Latvia and Lithuania fell behind significantly, listed as at the 45th and 50th places. Russia scored low result at the 78th position.

Of the South Caucasus countries, only Azerbaijan had not provided data on the status of the elderly.

Georgia and Armenia was listed at 37 and 51, respectively, on the "Global Age Watch Index 2013". -0 -