What Is A Healthy Life Expectancy After Retirement In Europe?

How many years can we expect to enjoy our retirement in good health?

According to calculations by Statista’s Anna Fleck, Europeans could expect to have around 12 healthy years after their retirement, as of 2022 (EU-27: 11.7 years), with the average effective age of exit from the labour market 63. 

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Pensioners living in Norway, Slovenia and Luxembourg are estimated to have 15 to 16 healthy years after retirement, while the Maltese, Belgians, French and Swedes were also above the European average (14 to 15 years).

Indicators such as the average exit age from the labor market also influence the number of expected “good years” after retirement. For example, Luxembourg and Slovenia have the lowest effective average exit age from the labour market (around 60).

Those living in the Baltic States, Portugal and Romania are at the other end of the spectrum, with a healthy life expectancy of less than 10 years.

It drops to under seven years in Estonia and five years in Romania. These national averages are the result of a combination of a late average retirement age (65 or over) and poor health indicators within the population.

It is important to note that these are averages across countries, and that durations vary according to occupational categories and standards of living.