When selecting a location to live in retirement, each individual will have different needs, preferences and priorities. Just as a point of reference, here is the means by which International Living Magazine produces an annual Quality of Life Index to rate and rank 192 countries.
The factors they take into account and the weight they they assign to those factors are as follows:
- Cost of Living (15% of the final ranking). This is a guide to how much it will cost you to live in a style comparable to—or better than—the standard of living you’re likely enjoying in the U.S. Our primary source in this category is the U.S. State Department’s Index of Overseas Living Costs, used to compute cost-of-living allowances for a Western-style of living in various countries. We also consider each country’s income tax rates.
- Culture and Leisure (10%). To calculate this score, we look at literacy rate, newspaper circulation per 1,000 people, primary and secondary school enrollment ratios, number of people per museum, and a subjective rating of the variety of cultural and recreational offerings.
- Economy (15%). We consider interest rates, GDP, GDP growth rate, GDP per capita, the inflation rate, and GNP per capita to determine each country’s Economy score.
- Environment (10%). To figure a country’s score in this category, we look at population density per square kilometer, population growth rate, greenhouse emissions per capita, and the percentage of total land that is protected .
- Freedom (10%). Freedom House’s 2007 survey is the main source for these scores, with an emphasis on a citizen’s political rights and civil liberties.
- Health (10%). In this category, we look at calorie consumption as a percentage of daily requirements, the number of people per doctor, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people, the percentage of the population with access to safe water, the infant mortality rate, life expectancy, and public health expenditure as a percentage of a country’s GDP.
- Infrastructure (10% ). To calculate a country’s Infrastructure score, we look at the length of railways, paved highways, and navigable waterways in each country, and equated these things to each country’s population and size. We also consider the number of airports, motor vehicles , telephones, Internet service providers, and cell phones per capita.
- Safety and Risk (10%). For this category, we use the U.S. Department of State’s hardship Differentials and danger allowances, which are based on extraordinarily difficult, notably unhealthy, or dangerous living conditions.
- Climate (10%). When deciding on a score for each country’s climate, we look at its average annual rainfall and average temperature…and consider its risk for natural disasters.
NOTE: Many of these factors, measured at the national level, give a very skewed perspective of actual circumstances "on the ground." For example, Cost of living can vary a great deal, especially in large countries like the United States. Climate can also vary in the extremes from one part of the country to another, especially in a number of Andean countries that have both high mountains, expansive desert areas, and enormous jungles at lower altititudes. Health is also much better in larger cities than in rural areas. Safety and Risk are very much a local concern. REMEMBER: AVERAGES DON"T ALWAYS TELL THE REAL STORY.
NET: Generally, It is better to choose a CITY, than a COUNTRY.
The complete results of the weighting can be seen here http://www.il-ireland.com/il/qofl2008/index.php
Here is an excerpt with just the Americas:
