Malta tops list of retirement destinations

Malta is the number one retirement destination, according to Castle Cover.

The insurance company's survey, conducted with Yahoo! Finance, ranked the tiny island as the top destination for retirees, thanks to good weather, low crime and low tax rates.

Portugal followed closely behind Malta, thanks to the low housing costs, while the rest of the top 10 included Spain, Barbados, USA, Australia, Thailand, Jamaica, Morocco and Greece.

But even with property in Portugal ranked three times cheaper than France, Spain's next-door neighbour could not compete with Malta's appeal to expats.

"With over 3,100 hours of sunshine a year, an average year-round temperature of 18.9°C and English as a first language for most people, it's no surprise Brits flock to the Mediterranean archipelago, making Malta our top, all-round retirement destination," said Castle Cover.