The country  earned its place thanks to reasonable living costs, steadily improving living conditions, and remarkable progress in infrastructure and healthcare, the ranking showed.

The index comes as a growing number of retirees in Europe, including France, consider long-term relocation abroad to improve quality of life, enjoy more favorable climates and stretch retirement income. To determine the rankings, Retraite sans Frontières assessed 12 criteria, with cost of living carrying the heaviest weight at 20% of the total score.

According to founder Paul Delahoutre, living overseas can help retirees cut daily expenses by 15 % to 50% compared with remaining in France. Other key factors include climate, healthcare quality, safety, access to services and transport conditions.

Alongside lifestyle considerations, tax policy is also viewed as a decisive factor in choosing a retirement destination. Several countries offer attractive tax incentives on pensions transferred from abroad, significantly increasing their appeal to foreign retirees.

Vietnam placed ninth overall, marking its debut in the top 10. Evaluators cited its low cost of living, diverse living environments, and healthcare and urban infrastructure that are improving at a visible pace. While living expenses remain slightly higher than in some other Asian destinations, Vietnam is seen as offering a balanced mix of affordability, living standards and long-term potential.

The ranking continues to be led by Portugal, supported by living costs around 15% lower than in France, geographic proximity, convenient transport links and well-developed infrastructure. Spain followed closely, benefiting from its shared border with France, rich cuisine and services aligned with European standards.

The remaining places went to Greece, Thailand, Mauritius, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Indonesia. Within Indonesia, Bali continued to receive high marks for affordability and a pleasant climate, despite drawbacks related to distance and healthcare quality.

Experts advise prospective retirees to spend time on the ground in any prospective destination before relocating permanently, in order to fully assess living conditions, healthcare, security and community integration.

Vietnam’s first appearance among the world’s leading retirement destinations is widely seen as a positive signal, underscoring the country’s growing appeal to the international community as cross-border retirement is  expected to continue expanding in the years ahead.

International Living: Vietnam ranks 5th among top retirement destinations

VOV.VN -North American-based magazine International Living, has named Vietnam among best Asian countries for US retirees.