Understanding age-friendly communities: Five global typologies of older adults

Over the past two decades, the World Health Organization has led the movement to transform cities into age-friendly environments, aiming to improve health, participation, and security for older adults. Despite these efforts, the measurement of age-friendliness at a global level remains a challenge. The Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Questionnaire (AFCCQ) is a significant tool in this regard, providing a quantitative approach to assess cities’ age-friendliness across different countries. In this study, researchers used the AFCCQ to conduct a multi-country analysis, identifying five distinct typologies of older adults based on their experiences in eight countries. Here we show that these typologies offer a nuanced understanding of age-friendliness that transcends national boundaries. These findings contribute to the global effort to create more inclusive urban environments, guiding policymakers to design targeted interventions to enhance the quality of life for older populations.