(from Newzzit; the original story is here http://newzzit.com/stories/pension-the-state-has-a-role-to-play)

In 2012, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and HelpAge International came out with a report - Ageing in the Twenty-First century: a celebration and a challenge, in which they argued that “while important progress had beenmade by many countries in adopting new policies and laws on ageing, more needs to be done to fulfil thepotential of older people”.

The organisations also felt the need for a new index that measures the well-being of older people, which “can focus attention onsuccesses and assist that progress, as well as identify areas that need to be addressed”. Thus, last year, the Global AgeWatch Index was developed which brought together internationally comparable data of older people's (defined as aged 60 or above) incomes, health, education, employment and enabling environments. Due to data limitations, the index currently ranks only 91 countries comprising almost 89% of the world's older population. Singapore is not included in the 2013 index.

As Singapore is one of the fastest ageing countries in the world, Newzzit summarises the state of older people across the world in our following three sections. May be, there are lessons for all policy makers to take note off.

All information, figures and charts in this story are courtesy the Global AgeWatch Index 2013.

In the Global Age Watch Index 2013 overall rankings, among the countries closest to Singapore, New Zealand is the highest ranked at seven, followed by Australia at 14. In ASEAN, Thailand is the highest ranked at 42, Vietnam is at 53, Indonesia at a lowly 71, followed by the bottom-most Loas at 79, and Cambodia at 80. 

Global AgeWatch Index 2013: Insight report on Thailand's Families in transition

“In Thailand, spouses and children are expected to provide care for older people who require it. Three-generation homes are stillcommon, and the duty of children to provide care and support for their parents (“filial piety”) in old age is enshrined in Thai law,though enforcement has so far been lax. However, the number of older people (aged 60 and over) livingwith their families has fallen from 77% in 1986 to 59% in 2007. As the population ages, more women move intopaid employment, and the size of Thai families decreases, familycare for older people is becoming a big issue. A common themein the popular media in Thailand is that the migration of adultchildren is leaving large numbers of parents deserted in their oldage, especially in rural areas. The Thai government’s response to population ageing has beenincreasingly vigorous. In 1999, the government committed itself toincreasing the living standards of older people, and to protecting them from abandonment and from violation of their rights. The 2007 Thai Constitution states that those aged 60 and overwith insufficient income to support themselves are entitled towelfare and public amenities provided by the state. Thailand currently has no comprehensive, formal long-term caresystem, but community care systems are being developed asan alternative or addition to family care. With a rapidly ageingpopulation compounded by changing household structures, theconcept of community holistic care has emerged where olderpeople are taken care of by others living nearby, whether theyare related to them or not."

But the most curious case in ASEAN is the difference in rankings of Vietnam (53), Loas (79) and Cambodia (80), even though all three countries have near comparable Human Development Indexes (HDI). Vietnam's HDI ranking is 127 while Loas and Cambodia both are at 138.

This is due to Vietnam's gradual introduction of a small basic pension scheme for older people providing them better health cover and income security. Interestingly, in terms of enabling environment for older people, Cambodia ranks relatively well in Asia.  

Click here and here for the other two stories related to Global AgeWatch Index 2013 under the sections The 3rd World and The 1st World.