Retirement and old age Essays

Retirement and old age Essays Retirement and old age Essay Retirement and old age Essay Retirement and old age Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions no longer allow the person to work any more (by illness or accident) or as a result of legislation concerning their position. Nowadays most developed countries have systems to provide pensions on retirement in old age, which may be sponsored by employers and/or the state. In many poorer countries, support for the old is still mainly provided through the family. In many western countries this right is mentioned in national onstitutions. The standard retirement age varies from country to country but it is generally between 50 and 70 (according to latest statistics, 2011). The list includes 91 countries, home to 89 percent of the worlds elderly. Sweden tops the list, followed by Norway and Germany. It is interesting to note that Japan, where the annual event of elderly people honouring became a national holiday half a century ago, only Just reaches the top ten. Also, Austria, which in a similar, recent survey by Forbes, was at the top of their list, was not included in this survey at all. Our country occupied 60th osition, ahead of Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia. The most uncomfortable countries for the elderly to be living are Pakistan, Tanzania and Afghanistan. The study shows that the indicator of GDP per capita is a poor one for elderly people. For example, poorer countries like Mauritius and Sri Lanka are high up on the list thanks to their progressive social policies, whilst the USA, with all its riches, is only in eighth place. Experts took into account, not only the income of those who are over 60, but also their state of health, education, employment, favourable environment and their social activity. The number of people of honourable age is growing, and by 2050 there will be more than 2 billion of them. According to forecasts, the amount of elderly people in Belarus will reach 28 percent in the next 12 years. The youngest people, teenagers, people in their 20s, are the least happy bunch. Theres a lot of uncertainty and you are forming your identity and youre not really sure who you are. You might not have the confidence that you have when youre older. But the surveys show that people tend to get happier as they get older and that peak happens fairly late. By DianaSea