Those Swiss. They have great chocolate, beautiful lakes, fondue. And their citizens may actually be able to kick back and enjoy those things one day. The 2015 Natixis Global Retirement Security Index put Switzerland at the No. 1 spot in its annual ranking of the well-being and “life conditions” that pre-retirees and retirees can expect across 150 countries. The prospects for current and aspiring retirees in America is less good: The U.S. is stuck at No. 19, where it’s been for the past three years. That means it beat out No. 20, Slovenia (hurray!), but trails countries including Luxembourg, Iceland, and Belgium.
The global retirement index analyzes 20 trends across four categories—health, material well-being, finances, and quality of life—to rank 150 countries on how likely a secure and comfortable retirement is for their citizens. The good news for the U.S.: It moved up to No. 14 from No. 22 in the “finances in retirement” component of the ranking, thanks to good growth in gross domestic product, low interest rates, and low inflation. But the U.S. also has an aging population at a time when government debt is growing, says Ed Farrington, executive vice president for retirement at Natixis Global Asset Management, which could strain government programs that people count on, like Social Security. The U.S. is No. 19 in health; No. 37 in material well-being, dragged down by income inequality; and No. 25 in quality of life, just behind Mexico.