For more than 30 years, International Living has been publishing information on retiring overseas. And, every September in the IL magazine, we cover the best countries in the world to retire to.

In IL’s annual Global Retirement Index, we rank the top 23 places in the world to retire — and lay out why they make sense — so you can more easily target the destination that’s right for you. The 23 countries are rated out of 100 points in categories such as real estate prices, cost of living, culture, health care, special benefits for retirees, infrastructure, safety/stability and climate.

Source and Read more: http://internationalliving.com/2011/08/the-worlds-best-retirement-haven/

Our Annual Retirement Index: All the Scores and How It’s Scored

Our Annual Retirement Index: How It’s Scored

• Real Estate. Countries where real estate prices are low and the purchase of real estate is relatively easy receive the highest scores. We use our own experiences, plus reports from our contributing editors and from real estate contacts around the world, to rate each country. Weight in Index: 15%

• Special Benefits. This category considers government provisions that make moving to and living in each country easier and more affordable for foreign retirees. Taken into account are discounts on health care, public transport, airfares, entertainment, utilities, whether you can import goods duty free, property rights for foreign residents, and property tax rates. Weight in Index: 20%

Source and Read more: http://internationalliving.com/2011/08/our-annual-retirement-index-all-the-scores-and-how-its-scored/