As people get older, more and more people are drawn abroad. These are the top five countries for retirement. These include popular holiday destinations.
Frankfurt – Living where others go on vacation: that seems to be getting more and more interesting, especially with age. But where is the best place to spend your retirement in Europe?
A third more pensions are currently being transferred abroad than ten years ago, according to Deutsche im Ausland eV. Even if compared to the total number of pensions only around one percent is transferred abroad, a clear increase can be seen. However, the demands for the perfect place in old age should not be underestimated. Among other things, cost of living and healthcare play a crucial role in the choice.
Retirement abroad: live where others go on vacation – there are many recommendations
There are a wide variety of rankings on the Internet as to where it is best to spend your retirement years. What is decisive, however, is which data is included in the respective rankings. A ranking by Moneytransfer.com seems to include the most important factors here. The following criteria were taken into account:
- life quality
- property prices
- cultural offers
- healthcare
- life satisfaction
- Reports from people who have already emigrated with a focus on: settling in and friendliness
For the ranking, the platform compared 21 countries in Europe. The better a country performed in one of the above categories, the more points the country received in the ranking.
Country ranking: Spend your retirement well – A good database is important for a good ranking
Various data sets were evaluated in the pension ranking in order to assess where the old age can best be spent. The website used different sources for this.
- Numbeo Cost of Living Index
- Statista (property prices)
- OECD Better Life Index (life satisfaction)
- European Commission Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor (culture/friendliness/accommodation)
- InterNation’s Expat Insider Survey (Health)
- Numbeo Healthcare Index (Health)
A country in which many Germans like to go on vacation made it to number one in the pension ranking: Spain. On the other hand, the country between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean only came third in the Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA) for the most popular travel destinations for Germans. But when it comes to pensions in Mallorca and Co., senior citizens have to take a few things into account.
Where to go in old age: These are the five best pension countries in Europe – popular holiday destinations are also among them
Good acclimatization, moderate living costs and adequate health care catapult Spain to first place in the pension ranking. It is followed by Belgium with the best real estate prices of the top five pension countries. Another popular holiday destination takes third place. Portugal scores particularly well when it comes to the cost of living. The friendliness also has an impact on the holiday home. In fourth place, this also plays a role.
- 1. Spain
- 2. Belgium
- 3. Portugal
- 4. Greece
- 5. Great Britain
- Source: MoneyTransfer.com
The friendliness speaks not only for a holiday in Greece, but also helps the country on the Mediterranean to place fourth in the pension ranking. Real estate prices are also important here. Great Britain makes fifth place. However, the difference to the Netherlands in sixth place is only half a point. In the Netherlands, pensioners receive higher salaries than in Germany.
Pension and old age: A holiday can make the decision easier
Where you would most like to live in old age is of course always an individual decision. A holiday in the relevant country can enable an initial assessment.
It should be checked at an early stage whether the pension is sufficient for emigrating or whether it needs to be supplemented with a mini-job first. The pension formula makes it easy to calculate the amount of your own pension. Changes in pensions should also be kept in mind in 2022. (lm)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO / Sven Simon
