There is a point in life when everyone inevitably starts dreaming of retirement. For me, these thoughts came unexpectedly when I was just about to enter my 30s. Retirement seemed like a very far-away concern, but also one that required a bit of thought considering the difficulties that millennials and Gen Z are now facing—namely, the rising cost of living, a dire housing market, and a retirement age that is only getting higher.
There are quite a few aspects to consider when deciding where to retire. For me, quality of life, mild weather, and a good healthcare system are high priorities, as well as having a pre-existing network of friends and family. For others, dual citizenship options, tax optimization, and cost of living may be of more importance.
This is where the 2026 Global Retirement Report and Index comes in, a new report compiled by Global Citizen Solutions. The annual index compares 46 residency programs across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Importantly, every country on the list has a residency route aimed at retirees or financially independent people, such as Portugal’s D7 Visa and Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa.
To determine the order of the ranking, researchers assessed each program across five weighted categories: quality of life, mobility and citizenship, tax optimization, procedure, and costs and investment. This covers everything from safety and environmental quality to income requirements, processing times, tax rates, and the route to permanent residency or citizenship. Quality of life and mobility and citizenship were given the greatest weight.
Interestingly, there is no runaway winner. Fewer than four points separate the entire top 10, with six European countries making the cut, alongside three in the Americas and one in Africa. The report itself recommends looking at the leading countries as a group of strong options rather than treating their positions as a definitive order. At the end of the day, everyone has different needs and a choice as important as a big international move depends on individual priorities. These are the 10 countries that came out on top.
