This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries. In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work. It is usually the age at which such a person may be entitled to receive superannuation or other government benefits, like a state pension.
History and establishment
The first recorded use of a state pension was established in the Roman Empire in 13 BC by Augustus for military veterans who had served for at least 16 years in a legion and four years in the reserves. This was later increased to 20 years in a legion and five years in the reserves.Clark, R. L., Craig, L. A., & Wilson, J. W. (n.d.). A History of Public Sector Pensions in the United States. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4011: University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved from https://pensionresearchcouncil.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/0-8122-3714-5-3.pdf
The first retirement age was set in Germany by Otto von Bismarck in 1889 (Gesetz, betreffend die Invaliditäts- und Altersversicherung), originally at 70, before being reduced to 65 in 1916 (Gesetz, betreffend Renten in der Invalidenversicherung). Following this, more countries began to adopt an official retirement age, such as Britain with the passage of the Old Age Pensions Act 1908, which set the initial retirement age at 70 before it was reduced to 65 for men and 60 for women with the passage of the National Insurance Act 1946.
The United States adopted an initial retirement age of 65, under the bill of the Social Security Act of 1935. By the mid-20th century, almost all countries had adopted a retirement age.
Arguments Policymakers usually consider the demography, fiscal cost of aging, health, life expectancy, nature of the profession, supply of labor force, and more, while taking the retirement age into account. The increase in life expectancy is used in some jurisdictions as an argument to increase the age of retirement in the 21st century.
Arguments for lower retirement ages for parents include the unpaid work of parental care. Lower retirement ages for parents have been criticized for reducing the length of pension contributions, which can result in lower retirement benefits.
Actuarially neutral adjustment of pension benefits allows a flexible retirement age without reducing pension sustainability.
Some countries are equalizing the retirement ages between women and men. The expected years in retirement were 22.8 years for women and 18.4 years for men on average in OECD in 2022, contributed by sex differences in life expectancy. The generally longer expected years in retirement result in women requiring higher pension contributions to reach the same annual pension benefits as men without redistribution.
Reforms Reforms tend to be phased in slowly when the retirement age (or pension age) is increased with grandfathering, ensuring a gradual change. One of such examples of grandfathering is the transitional pension rules, which were applied for staff aged 54 years or older, and to some extent, for all staff in place, when in 2014, the retirement age of European civil servants was increased to 66 years of age.
In contrast, when the age of retirement is decreased, changes are often brought about rapidly.
Retirement age by country and region Many of the countries listed in the table below are in the process of reforming retirement ages. The actual retirement can be earlier or later than the public retirement age due to private pension plans or incentives to work longer.
In some countries, one's year of birth determines their age of retirement. For example, in the United States as of 2025, while a person born before 1960 can retire with social security benefits at the age of 66, those born after 1960 must be 67, however an added increase can be obtained by retiring after 70.
Denmark, whose currently age for retirees is 67, (men and women) will also be increased to 70 by 2040.
Many European Union Member States, currently imply a retirement age of 65, in the 2020s. However by 2030 this will be increased to the standard 67 years in most countries.
The average of statutory retirement age in the 34 countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2014 was males 65 years and females 63.5 years, but the tendency all over the world is to increase the retirement age. This is also reflected by the findings that just over half the Asian investors surveyed region-wide said they agreed with raising the retirement age, with a quarter disagreeing and the remainder undecided.
+Retirement ageCountryMenWomenYearNotes 65622026Men: gradually rising by 1 month a year from 2033 onwards from 65 years to 67 years by 2056. Women: gradually rising by 2 months a year from 2021 onwards from 61 years to 67 years by 2056. 65602026 632026 672026In Australia the retirement age was increased to 67 years in July 2023. 6561.52026Women: gradually rising by 6 months per year from 2024 onwards from 60 years to 65 years by 2033.2009 Ageing Report: Economic and budgetary projections for the EU-27 Member States (2008–2060). Joint Report prepared by the European Commission (DG ECFIN) and the Economic Policy Committee (AWG), , p. 78. 6564.52026Men: 65 from 2021 onwards. Women: gradually rising by 6 months per year from 2017 onwards from 60 to 65 years by 2027. 63582026Kłos B., Wiek emerytalny kobiet i mężczyzn, "infos", 7.02.2008 592026 66-672026The legal retirement age (the age at which one can retire, regardless of career length) in Belgium is 66 from 2025 and in 2030 it will be 67, both for women and men. Early retirement is possible from 60 onwards with a career of at least 44 years, from 61 onwards with at least 43 years, or from 63 onwards with a career of at least 42 years. Some exceptions exist, mainly in the required number of years. A career year is considered if it contains at least 156 days (in full time equivalent). 652026 65622026Certain individuals, such as rural workers, teachers and police officers, have a lower minimum age. Brazil also requires workers to have contributed to social security for a minimum amount of time before they become eligible to claim benefits. To start receiving partial benefits, all private-sector workers are required have contributed for at least 20 years (for men) or 15 years (for women). Public-sector workers are required to have contributed for at least 25 years. To receive full benefits all workers must have contributed for at least 40 years (for men) or 35 years (for women). 652026 64 years 9 months62 years 3 months2026In Bulgaria the retirement age is to be increased gradually and reach 65 years by 2029 for men and by 2037 for women. 602026Since 2023 the retirement age is 60 years for all. 65 (standard)60 (on deduction, up to 36%)70 (increase of up to 42%)2026The standard age to start the pension is 65. However, you can start receiving it as early as age 60 or as late as age 70. If you start receiving your pension earlier, the monthly amount you’ll receive will be smaller. If you decide to start later, you’ll receive a larger monthly amount. There’s no benefit to wait after age 70 to start receiving the pension. The maximum monthly amount you can receive is reached when you turn 70. If you start before age 65, payments will decrease by 0.6% each month (or by 7.2% per year), up to a maximum reduction of 36% if you start at age 60. If you start after age 65, payments will increase by 0.7% each month (or by 8.4% per year), up to a maximum increase of 42% if you start at age 70 (or after). 65602026 6355–582026The new retirement age was announced on 13 September 2024 and is now 63 for men, 58 for female civil servants and 55 for female workers. It took effect on 1 January 2025. Previously, the retirement age was 60 for men, 55 for female civil servants, and 50 for female workers. The 2024 change marked the first increase of the retirement age since the 1950s. The retirement age will apply to men born in and after 1965, female civil servants born in and after 1970 and female workers born in or after 1975. The retirement age increase is based on the individual’s year and month of birth, as it increases by 1 month for every 4-month-block months of birth for males and female civil servants and 1 month for every 2-month-block for female workers until 2040. It is expected to be fully phased in for male workers born in September 1976, female civil servants born in September 1981 and female workers born in November 1984. The New regulation also stipulates that those affected by the change may voluntarily reduce their retirement age by up to 3 years if they have made the minimum length of pension payments, or delay their retirements by up to 3 years if permitted by the employer. The minimum pension payment period will also be increased from 15 years to 20 from 2030. 62572026The reform, which will be in force from July 2025, kept the retirement age at 62 for men when they have made contributions for 1,300 weeks of work and 57 for women, though it reduced the number of weeks for women to 1,000. Women can discount 50 weeks of pension contributions from their required amount for each child, for up to three children, under the terms of the reform. 65642026Men: 65. Women: gradually rising by 3 months per year to 65 years by 2030. 65602026Age 65 (men) or age 60 (women) with at least 30 years of employment; age 60 (men) or age 55 (women) if 75% of the insured's total employment history or the 15 years of employment immediately before retirement involved arduous or dangerous work. 652026The pensionable age is 65. It is possible to receive a pension at the age of 63 under certain conditions. Miners can receive a pension at the age of 63 provided they have worked in a mine for at least 3 years; and they are entitled to a one-month reduction in the retirement age for every 5-month period they worked in a mine on condition that they are no longer engaged in that activity. They may not, however, retire before the age of 58. Cypriot legislation does not provide for early retirement in other cases. 64 years 4 months2026By 2030 the retirement age will be 65. For women, having children reduce the retirement age depending on number of children; from 2037 the retirement age will be 65 for all, regardless of number of children. 67–702026 From 2030 onwards, retirement age will be linked to life expectancy. From 2040 to 2045 the state retirement age was set to 70. 602026 64 years 11 months2026By 2027, retirement age will be linked to the average life expectancy. Having children may reduce the retirement age by 3–5 years. 64–692026Flexible retirement age: 64–69 years, national pension 65 years. In 2030, the retirement age will be linked to life expectancy. 64–672026 65602026 65 years 4 months2026In Germany the retirement age is being increased and will gradually rise to 67 by 2031. 672026 60–652026Retirement age 65. Early retirement possible between the ages of 60 and 64. Some disciplined services staff of the government have lower retirement age. 652026Women with 40 years of insurance can retire at any age. 672026 60–652026In the public sector, the retirement age is 60, 62 in Indian Railways, 62 for the chiefs of army/navy/air force staff (or 3 years of service whichever is earlier), 62 for high court judges, 65 for the chief of defence staff (or 3 years of service whichever is earlier), and 65 for supreme Court judges. while in the private sector it depends on the individual company and the maximum being 65. 59 years 4 months2026In Indonesia, provisions relating to pensions are regulated in Government Regulation Number 45 of 2015 Article 15 concerning the Implementation of the Pension Guarantee Program, in PP 45/2015 the following matters are regulated: For the first time the Retirement Age is set at 56 (fifty six years). Starting January 1, 2019, the retirement age as referred to in paragraph (1) will be 57 (fifty seven) years.