Choosing an expat destination which aids longevity

The 21st century could well be described as the century of the expat exodus, as there are now millions of people loving living anywhere but where they were born.

The decision to leave the country of your birth and relocate to an unfamiliar land is perhaps one of the most crucial you’ll ever take. Whatever the reason for your wish to plunge into a completely different lifestyle including learning an unfamiliar language, you’ll be happier if you’ve prioritised your needs over your wants. Nowadays, as many would-be expats are considering healthy living as are contemplating huge salaries and, if you’re looking to make a permanent move, there’s a good choice of destinations which actually improve your longevity.

It’s no surprise that various studies suggest a clean environment is best for expat health and long life, with the focus nowadays on environmental quality, especially in mega-cities prone to poor air quality. One set of survey results gave a 20-year difference in life expectancy between the world’s dirtiest cities and the cleanest, with high-ranking environments including Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Unsurprisingly, the worst places in which to attempt to live a long, healthy life included Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Central African Republic., all of which aren’t anywhere on would-be expats’ wish lists.

Once you’ve decided on a short list of suitable destinations, how to maintain your own health for those extra 20 years usually involves checking out the healthcare standards in your preferred countries whilst bearing in mind you’ll probably have to buy private health insurance. Basic medical care is usually available to foreign residents, but unexpected disasters can prove very detrimental to expat finances. Health insurance inevitably gets more expensive as you age, with factoring this into your financial plans the best idea. Most surveys suggest Europe as the safest, most suitable region for a long life, but this generalisation doesn’t take weather into account.

It’s a fact that sunshine contributes to longevity, as does a healthy diet based on natural ingredients free of contamination from chemicals such as pesticides. First-world countries rarely concentrate on organic foodstuffs, as suppliers are mostly tied to large conglomerations producing quantity rather than quality in spite of the fact that nutrition is all-important for an extended life span. Athough 19th-century style farming communities don’t produce ‘pretty’ vegetables and fruits, both are healthier as they contain no dangerous additives. In addition, exercise in rural surroundings is far more effective than in city centres. If you’re serious about living for 100 years, taking the above into account is just the start.