Copyright AP/Petros Giannakouris
These figures are provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its report *Pensions at a Glance 2025*, which covered 32 countries, according to Euronews.
Today, men in European Union countries retire on average at age 64.7, while women retire at age 64. For today’s younger generation, this age will rise to nearly 67: to 66.7 for men and 66.6 for women.
This increase is already enshrined in the legislation of most countries. The retirement age will rise for men in 21 of the 32 countries and for women in 24.
The most significant changes are expected in Northern Europe. In Denmark, the retirement age for men will reach 74. In Estonia, it will rise to 71, and in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Cyprus—to 70.
At the other end of the spectrum are Luxembourg and Slovenia, where men will still be able to retire at age 62.
Among Europe’s largest economies, Italy will lead the way in terms of working life expectancy. Both men and women there will work until age 70. In the United Kingdom, the retirement age will be 68, and in Germany, 67. In France and Spain, it will remain at 65.
For women, the biggest changes are expected in Turkey. Currently, they retire at age 49, but in the future, the retirement age will jump to 63. In Italy, it will rise by more than six years, and in Denmark, by seven years. Significant increases are also expected in Estonia, Slovakia, Romania, Austria, Greece, Sweden, and Cyprus.
According to the OECD, governments are taking these measures due to the rapid aging of the population. This means that fewer and fewer workers will be supporting a growing number of retirees. By 2050, there will be 52 people over the age of 65 for every 100 people of working age. In 2025, this ratio stood at 33, and in 2000, it was just 22.
The organization notes that raising the retirement age remains the most common way to maintain the sustainability of pension systems without cutting pensions. The alternative is to increase insurance contributions or reduce benefit amounts.
However, some projections may still change. For example, Denmark is discussing moving away from the current rigid link between the retirement age and life expectancy. If the mechanism is revised, the maximum retirement age could end up being lower than the current projection of 74 years.
