Cyprus has climbed two places to 23rd in Natixis Investment Managers’ 2026 Global Retirement Index (GRI), up from 25th in 2025, with its overall score rising two percentage points to 68 per cent.
Retirement finances drove this year’s rise. Cyprus jumped 12 places to 19th in that category, while a sharp decline in its health sub-index compared with previous years held back an even bigger climb.
Within finances, Cyprus rose 11 places on inflation as the country largely brought strong inflationary pressures under control. It gained six places on interest rates to 27th, and three places on tax to eighth worldwide, after its tax score jumped 13 percentage points.
The index looks beyond retirees’ finances to the overall conditions of life after work, across four main areas. Cyprus scored 67 per cent for finances in retirement, 66 per cent for wellbeing, 80 per cent for health and 61 per cent for quality of life.
How Europe ranks
Norway topped the index for the second year running with 83 per cent, followed by Ireland with 81 per cent. The Netherlands climbed to third with 79 per cent, overtaking Switzerland, which slipped to fourth on the same score, mainly because of pressure on material wellbeing. Denmark was fifth and Luxembourg eighth. Iceland stayed in the top ten in ninth place, despite a sharp fall caused by its unemployment score.
Malta was 11th, the highest-ranked country in southern Europe. Russia rose six places to 14th on broader improvements, Slovakia was 16th and Belgium 18th. The United Kingdom and Italy rose five places each, to 21st and 22nd respectively.
On certain sub-indices, such as tax, Cyprus outperforms countries including Austria, which fell to 23rd, and Luxembourg.
Greece ranked 36th with 52 per cent.
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