From 55 in some nations to 70 in others — official retirement ages vary enormously. Here's what you need to know.
When can you retire? The answer depends enormously on where you live. Across the world, official retirement ages range from 55 to 70, shaped by demographics, pension system sustainability, and cultural attitudes toward work and old age.
Here is a comprehensive look at official state pension retirement ages across major economies as of 2025. Note that many countries have different ages for men and women, and for "early" versus "full" retirement benefits.
| Country | Full Retirement Age | Early Retirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 67 | 62 (reduced) | Born after 1960. Social Security. |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 66 → 67 | 55 (private pension) | Rising to 67 by 2028. |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 65 | 60 (reduced CPP) | OAS at 65; CPP from 60. |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 67 | 60 (superannuation) | Age Pension at 67. |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 67 | 63 (45 contrib. years) | Rising to 67 by 2029. |
| 🇫🇷 France | 64 | 62 | Raised from 62 to 64 in 2023. |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 65 | 60 (reduced) | Can delay to 75 for higher benefit. |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 67 | 62 + 38 yrs contrib. | Quota 100/103 rules apply. |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 66 | 63 | Rising to 67 by 2027. |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 67 | — | Linked to life expectancy. |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 65 M / 64 W | 63 | Women's age rising to 65 by 2028. |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 65–67 | 62 | Flexible system from 62. |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 65 M / 62 W | — | Reformed 2019. Min. contributions required. |
| 🇮🇳 India | 60 (govt) | — | Private sector varies widely. |
| 🇨🇳 China | 60 M / 55 W | — | Gradual increase announced 2024. |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 65 | 60 (reduced) | IMSS pension system. |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 63 → 65 | 60 | Rising to 65 by 2033. |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 63 (re-employ to 68) | — | CPF withdrawal from 65. |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 65 | — | NZ Superannuation. |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 60 | — | Old Age Grant at 60. |
Beyond state pension ages, the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has gained significant traction globally. Adherents aim to retire in their 30s, 40s, or 50s by aggressively saving 50–70% of their income and building investment portfolios capable of sustaining 25–30 years of withdrawals.
The key metric in FIRE planning is the "4% rule" — the idea that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio annually is sustainable indefinitely. This means a portfolio of $1 million supports roughly $40,000/year of withdrawals.
Whatever your target retirement age, our free Retirement Date Calculator will tell you exactly how many years, months, and days remain until that milestone — down to the day.
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