Retirement ages today vs the future: How long will Europeans work?
Around two-thirds of European countries are expected to raise the retirement age for men, while three-quarters will raise it for women. According to Euronews’ analysis of data for 32 countries, men face...
Around two-thirds of European countries are expected to raise the retirement age for men, while three-quarters will raise it for women.
According to Euronews’ analysis of data for 32 countries, men face higher retirement ages in 21 and women in 24.
Across the EU, the normal retirement age is expected to rise by two years for men and 2.4 years for women, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Pensions at a Glance 2025 report.
The comparison is between people retiring in 2024 and those who entered the labour market at 22 that year, assuming an uninterrupted career. The latter group would typically retire in the late 2060s.
“Increasing retirement ages remains a common strategy to improve the financial sustainability of pension systems without reducing pension levels,” the report said.
“Alternatively, financial sustainability can be pursued through raising contributions paid or reducing benefit levels.”
So, where will retirement ages rise the most, and which countries will have the highest?
Where do men retire earliest and latest today?
According to OECD data as of 2024, the highest retirement age for men is 67, recorded in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands. The EU average is 64.7 years.
Turkey is a significant outlier, with a retirement age of 52. The next lowest is 62, recorded in Greece, Slovenia and Luxembourg.
Among Europe’s five largest economies, Germany has the highest retirement age for men, at 66.2, while France has the lowest, at 64.3.
Where will men’s retirement ages reach 70 or higher?
Across the EU, men who entered the labour market at 22 in 2024 are projected to retire, 66.7 on average, around 2069.
Denmark will have the highest retirement age for men, at 74. By the late 2060s, it will reach 71 in Estonia and 70 in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Cyprus.
The lowest retirement age for men will be 62 in Slovenia and Luxembourg.
Among Europe’s largest economies, men in Italy will have the highest future retirement age, at 70, followed by those in the United Kingdom, at 68, and Germany, at 67. The retirement age for men will be 65 in both France and Spain.
Turkey faces the biggest rise for men: 13 years
Men in Turkey will face the largest increase, with their retirement age projected to rise by 13 years, from 52 to 65.
Denmark will see a seven-year rise for men, followed by Estonia, Italy, Slovakia and Cyprus, where the increase will be at least five years.
Men’s retirement age will rise by four years in both Sweden, reaching 70, and Greece, reaching 66. It will increase by three years in the Netherlands, to 70, and Finland, to 68.
The increase will also be at least two years in Portugal and the UK, where the retirement age will reach 68, as well as Czechia, Romania and Belgium, where it will reach 67.
Men in Germany and France will face increases of less than one year, while their retirement age will remain unchanged in several other countries.
Where will women’s retirement ages be highest?
For women, Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland and Norway currently have the highest retirement age, at 67. The EU average is 64.
Turkey has by far the lowest current retirement age for women, at 49, followed by Poland at 60.
Across the EU, women who entered the labour market at 22 in 2024 are projected to retire at 66.4 on average—2.4 years later than women who retired in 2024.
As with men, Denmark will have the highest future retirement age for women, at 74. It is projected to reach 71 in Estonia and 70 in Italy, while women in the Netherlands, Sweden and Cyprus will also retire at 70.
Within the EU, Poland will continue to have the lowest retirement age for women in the late 2060s, at 60.
Among Europe’s largest economies, women in Italy will have the highest retirement age, at 70, followed by those in the UK, at 68. The retirement age for women will reach 67 in Germany and 65 in both France and Spain.
As Turkey's current retirement age for women is exceptionally low, the country will record the largest increase: 14 years, from 49 to 63.
The rise will be seven years in both Italy and Denmark. Increases of at least four years are also projected in Estonia, at 6.3 years; Slovakia, 5.8; Cyprus, five; Romania, 4.8; Austria, 4.5; and Sweden and Greece, four years each.
In Spain, the retirement age for women will remain at 65. Germany and France will see a rise of less than a year, while the UK will see a two-year increase.
Ageing populations put pension systems under pressure
In some countries, changes in life expectancy will affect the retirement age. For example, Denmark may soften the current one-to-one link between retirement age and life expectancy.
In that case, “the projected future normal retirement age would be lower than 74”, according to the report.
The report warns that populations across the OECD will age rapidly over the next 25 years. For every 100 people aged between 20 and 64, the number aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 33 in 2025 to 52 in 2050. In 2000, the figure was 22.
