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Blue Zone regions are those which ensure a high life expectancy and a good quality of life. Where can you find them?

Blue Zone are sought-after areas by many, especially retirees.

New data from Gale and Phillipson unveiled the best countries for a “happy long-lived retirement”.

These regions have the highest life expectancy due to a number of factors, including a healthy diet and lifestyle, lots of sunlight, and a community-centred mindset.

The five main blue zones are Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California, USA.

The beautiful areas are very appealing for the older generations looking for a peaceful and long-lived retirement.

The new study looked at a number of factors to determine which is the best country to retire to.

These include: happiness score, life expectancy, yearly sunlight hours, drinking water quality, air quality, and a number of spa and wellness centres.

Switzerland was named the best country to retire to based on the study.

The European nation is within the top three in most of the factors, including the drinking water quality index and the number of spa and wellness centres index, making it the best blue zone-like country to retire to.

Switzerland was followed by Italy, Croatia and Greece.

Italy came second in the top 10 blue zone countries.

The bluest zone region in Italy is the gorgeous island of Sardinia.

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Icaria, in Greece, was also named as one of the best places to relocate to.

A Gale and Phillipson spokesman explained: “When it comes to retirement, people are considering a number of factors to determine which location to settle in.

“They’re looking for a place with a high quality of life that can also cater to their health and wellness needs. It’s likely that they have a sufficient retirement pot and are willing to invest it in securing a comfortable retirement.

“The top blue-zone-like countries could be just what they’re looking for, as these areas pride themselves in having high life expectancy, good quality of life, and a great number of wellness facilities.”

Top 10 blue zone countries

Switzerland

Italy

Croatia

Greece

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Spain

Cyprus

Portugal

Andorra

Netherlands

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