The retirement age in Europe is increasing as people live longer, but there are significant differences between countries in how many years a person is expected to live after the start of the pension period. According to OECD data, in 2024, the average retirement age in the EU is 64.7 years for men and 64 years for women. Since the right to receive a pension arises upon reaching retirement age, Euronews Business used the life expectancy at the time of retirement in each country. If other conditions are met, such as sufficient work experience, people can expect to receive a pension for that number of years. Of course, some retirees continue to work even after reaching retirement age. ## ## 18.4 Years for Men, 21.8 Years for Women In EU countries, retired men live an average of 18.4 years longer, while women live 21.8 years longer. These estimates are based on life expectancy at retirement age, according to Eurostat and OECD data for 2024. For men, the expected pension period ranges from 14.7 years in Bulgaria and Hungary to 27.3 years in Turkey. Within the EU, the record belongs to Luxembourg, where men are expected to receive pensions for 22 years. This discrepancy is mainly explained by two factors: differences in retirement age and life expectancy. Retired men in Greece (21 years), France (20.7), Slovenia (20.7), Switzerland (20.4), and Malta (20.2) are also expected to spend more than 20 years in retirement. The expected duration of retirement also exceeds the EU average of 18.4 years in Cyprus (19.8), Sweden (19.4), Portugal (19.3), Belgium (19.1), Ireland (19), the United Kingdom (19), Austria (18.8), and Finland (18.7). Latvia ranks third from the bottom with 14.9 years. ## ## Germany Has the Least Years of Retirement Among Major Economies This means that, except for Germany, men in other major European economies spend more years in retirement than the EU average. In Germany, the figure is 1.1 years below the European average, creating a noticeable gap with France, Italy, and Spain. In contrast, apart from Bulgaria and Hungary, men in Latvia, Romania, and Lithuania spend the least years in retirement, with all these countries having less than 16 years. For women, the expected life expectancy in retirement in the EU is 21.8 years, varying from 18.6 years in Hungary to 34.5 years in Turkey. In Luxembourg, this figure also exceeds 25 years. Women in Slovenia, Greece, France, Spain, Switzerland, Malta, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, and Finland are expected to spend more than 22 years in retirement, meaning they will receive pension payments for over 22 years. Among women, below the European average are not only Germany (20.3) but also the United Kingdom (21). Besides Hungary, in several countries, women are expected to spend less than 20 years in retirement. These include Bulgaria (18.8), Romania (19.1), the Netherlands (19.2), Croatia (19.6), Denmark (19.7), Latvia (19.8), and Iceland (19.8). ## ## Retirement Age and Expected Age of Death As of 2024, Turkey stands out significantly from the other 32 European countries: the current retirement age there is 52 years for men and 49 years for women. Except for Turkey, the retirement age in the other countries on the list ranges from 62 to 67 years for men and from 60 to 67 years for women. In the EU, the retirement age is 64.7 years for men and 64 years for women. The life expectancy for men is 83.1 years and for women is 85.8 years. The gap between men and women in years of retirement On average in the EU, women are expected to spend 3.4 years longer in retirement than men. This gap varies from 1.6 years in Iceland to 7.2 years in Turkey. The difference also reaches four years or more in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland. At the same time, the labor force participation rate in these countries is relatively lower. Another important aspect is the gender pension gap. In OECD countries, women receive pensions that are on average 23% lower than those of men, and in the United Kingdom, the gap reaches 37%.
