--- title: What's the Best Country for Retirement? The U.S. Isn't Even in the Top 10 description: What's the best country for retirement? The U.S. is not in the top 10, while Iceland, Norway and Sweden top the ranking. authors: - name: Ana Lucia Murillo url: https://money.com/author/ana-lucia-murillo/ at_money_since: 2021 articles: 50 covers: - Retirement - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Economy and Politics - Education - Housing - Investing - Lifestyle - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Taxes former_staff: true published: '2021-09-27T13:17:20.000Z' modified: '2024-01-10T16:50:29.000Z' section: Retirement tags: - Best - global retirement index - Life Expectancy - pandemic - retirement security - Social Security word_count: 552 canonical: https://money.com/best-country-for-retirement-2021/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Retired Couple Looking At Finances On Laptop](https://img.money.com/2021/09/News-US-Dropping-Down-Ranks-Best-Countries-To-Retire.jpg) It’s going to take a miracle. At least that’s what 41% of Americans surveyed in a recent [study](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210914005370/en/United-States-Ranks-17th-for-Retiree-Wellbeing-in-Natixis-Investment-Managers%E2%80%99-2021-Global-Retirement-Index-as-Savers-Hope-for-a-Miracle) said when asked about the chances they’ll be able to retire comfortably. That’s a sobering statistic for anyone who hopes to enjoy a nice retirement in the U.S. And it gives a pretty good indication of why the U.S. is not considered one of the top countries in the world for retirement. In fact, the U.S. is routinely well out of the top 10 in the rankings. The annual Global Retirement Index study by [Natixis Investment Managers](https://www.im.natixis.com/us/home?creative=308622845968&keyword=natixis%2520investment%2520managers&matchtype=e&network=g&device=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjw18WKBhCUARIsAFiW7JwG0jPhR5QBY8Muc2nhmi9gW-c8bcJlUpys8Uo_qyT8ZARIDVxdUQsaAueaEALw_wcB) put the U.S. in the 17th spot this year. Last year, we were in 16th place, and in 2019 the U.S. was ranked down at 18. ## What's the best place to retire? Why is the U.S. consistently ranked fairly low in the retirement index, and what countries are best for retirees? [Iceland came out on top](https://money.com/iceland-retirement-quality-of-life/) for the third year in a row as the best among 44 countries in which to retire. It was followed by Switzerland and Norway, and they've all been in the top three over the past two years. The study factors in health, quality of life, material wellbeing and finances in retirement, and these three countries outperformed the U.S. in all categories. While the top countries’ scores dropped from 2020, they retained their spots in the rankings. What made the U.S. drop by one spot? One major reason was a decrease in life expectancy. The pandemic pushed life expectancy down by more than two years for men in the country, and more than 1.5 years for women, according to an [Oxford University study](https://khn.org/morning-breakout/life-expectancy-for-us-men-drops-2-2-years-due-to-covid/) published Monday. That’s the biggest drop of any nation included in the study. The fall in life expectancy is a dramatic indication of poor health outcomes in the U.S., and it's especially frustrating because America spends more on health care per individual than any other nation (also according to the Natixis study). Many people are [worried about retirement](https://money.com/rising-inflation-retirement/) in America, and with good reason. We have an aging population, high healthcare costs and a global pandemic that has worsened already stark economic inequality. About [twice as many people retired](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/business/economy/retire-early-pandemic-social-security.html) in 2020 as did in 2019, many involuntarily and without adequate financial preparation. “The pandemic has exacerbated financial inequality and accelerated long-term trends that are eroding the prospect of retirement security for many,” Jim Roach, Senior Vice President of Retirement Strategies at Natixis Investment Managers said in a [press release](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210914005370/en/United-States-Ranks-17th-for-Retiree-Wellbeing-in-Natixis-Investment-Managers%E2%80%99-2021-Global-Retirement-Index-as-Savers-Hope-for-a-Miracle) earlier this month. Despite the U.S. having one of the wealthiest economies in the world, individual investors worry that worsening income inequality is hurting Americans’ overall chances of retiring comfortably, the study found. People are also concerned that the [social safety net for older adults](https://money.com/social-security-increase-2022-inflation/) in the U.S. is not as reliable or generous as it should be. The Treasury Department recently revealed the Old Age and Survivors Trust Fund, which is used to pay monthly benefits to retirees, is on pace to be depleted [a year earlier than previously expected](https://money.com/social-security-benefits-run-out-of-money/). ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/best-country-for-retirement-2021/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Retirement", "item": "https://money.com/retirement/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Retirement Planning", "item": "https://money.com/retirement-planning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What's the Best Country for Retirement? 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