Updated 24 October 2026
Quick answer on retirement age in Europe: In most rich countries, the age at which you can draw a full state pension in 2026 is between 65 and 67. It is 67 in the United States (for anyone born in 1960 or later), Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Greece; 66 y 4 m in Germany; 66 y 10 m in Spain; 66 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium; and 65 in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and Finland. France is lower, at 62 y 9 m after the 2023 reform was frozen, and South Korea is at 63. Much of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe still has ages of 55 to 65, and several countries set lower ages for women. Almost everywhere the trend is upwards: the UK began moving to 67 in May 2026, Germany reaches 67 by 2031, and Denmark has legislated 70 by 2040, the highest in Europe. The interactive table below lists 39 countries, with the earliest claim age and the changes already in law.
"What is the retirement age?" sounds like a simple question, but every country answers it differently. Some have a single state pension age; others let you choose any age within a range; some have different ages for men and women, or for people with long careers. Ages also depend on your year of birth in many countries, because they are rising step by step.
This guide uses one definition for every country: the normal age at which the main public pension can be drawn in full, for someone reaching it in 2026. It also shows the earliest age you can claim (usually with a reduction) and what is already legislated for the future. Figures are checked against national pension agencies, the OECD and the Finnish Centre for Pensions, which tracks retirement ages across Europe.
| Country | Pension age | Change ahead |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 67 (Age Pension) | None legislated |
| Denmark | 67 | 68 (2030), 69 (2035), 70 (2040) |
| Greece | 67 | Linked to life expectancy |
| Italy | 67 | 67 y 1 m in 2027; 67 y 3 m in 2028 |
| Netherlands | 67 | 67 y 3 m in 2028 |
| Norway | 67 | Linked to life expectancy from 2029 |
| Sweden | 67 (guarantee pension) | Ages linked to life expectancy |
| United States | 67 | None legislated |
| Spain | 66 y 10 m | 67 in 2027 |
| Portugal | 66 y 9 m | Linked to life expectancy |
| Germany | 66 y 4 m | 67 by 2031 |
| Belgium | 66 | 67 in 2030 |
| Ireland | 66 | None legislated |
| United Kingdom | 66, rising to 67 | 67 by March 2028; 68 planned for 2044–46 |
| Argentina | 65 men / 60 women | None legislated |
| Austria | 65 men / 61 y 6 m women | 65 for women by 2033 |
| Brazil | 65 men / 62 women | None legislated |
| Canada | 65 | None legislated |
| Chile | 65 men / 60 women | None legislated |
| Finland | 65 (national pension) | Linked to life expectancy |
| Japan | 65 | None legislated |
| Mexico | 65 | None legislated |
| New Zealand | 65 (NZ Super) | None legislated |
| Poland | 65 men / 60 women | None legislated |
| Singapore | 65 (CPF payouts) | Retirement age 65 by 2030 |
| Switzerland | 65 men / 64 y 6 m women | 65 for women by 2028 |
| Czechia | 64 y 6 m | 67 by 2056 |
| Russia | 64 men / 59 women | 65 / 60 from 2028 |
| South Korea | 63 | 64 in 2027; 65 by 2033 |
| France | 62 y 9 m | Reform frozen until January 2028; 64 for those born 1969+ |
| Vietnam | 61 y 6 m men / 57 women | 62 men (2028); 60 women (2035) |
| China | ~60 y 4 m men; ~55 y 4 m / 50 y 8 m women | 63 men; 58 / 55 women by 2040 |
| Malaysia | 60 (minimum retirement age) | None legislated |
| Philippines | 60 (SSS, optional) | None legislated |
| South Africa | 60 (Older Persons Grant) | None legislated |
| Indonesia | 59 (BPJS pension) | 60 in 2028, then +1 every 3 years to 65 |
| India | 58 (EPS pension) | None legislated |
| Saudi Arabia | 58 | 65 for workers who started after July 2024 |
| Thailand | 55 (Social Security) | None legislated |
Pension Age Is Not the Same as Retirement
Before comparing countries, it is worth separating three different ages that are often confused:
- State pension age (or normal retirement age). The age at which the main public pension is paid in full, without a reduction. This is the figure in our table.
- Earliest claim age. Many systems allow you to start earlier, usually with a permanent reduction. In the US, you can claim Social Security from 62 but receive about 30% less than at 67.
- Mandatory or statutory retirement age. In some countries, such as Singapore and parts of Asia, this is the age until which an employer cannot dismiss you because of age. It is about employment, not pensions. Most Western countries have abolished compulsory retirement for most jobs.
Private and workplace pensions have their own rules. In the UK, for example, private pensions can be accessed from 55 (57 from 2028), more than a decade before the state pension. In Australia, superannuation can be accessed from 60, seven years before the Age Pension.
The Highest Pension Ages
In 2026, the highest normal pension ages in the table are 67, found in:
- United States: full retirement age is 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later, the final step of a change legislated in 1983. You can claim from 62 with a reduction, or delay to 70 and get 8% more for each year of delay.
- Australia: the Age Pension age reached 67 in July 2023.
- Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden: all 67, and in most of them the age is linked to life expectancy, so it will rise further.
Spain (66 y 10 m, reaching 67 in 2027), Portugal (66 y 9 m) and Germany (66 y 4 m) are close behind.
Looking further ahead, Denmark will have the highest pension age in the developed world. A law passed in May 2025 raises it to 68 in 2030, 69 in 2035 and 70 in 2040 for everyone born after 31 December 1970. Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Estonia link their ages to life expectancy, so their ages will also keep rising as people live longer.
The Lowest Pension Ages
At the other end:
- Thailand: 55 for the social security old-age pension, with a universal allowance from 60.
- India: 58 for the Employees' Pension Scheme. India has no universal contributory state pension; most government jobs have a retirement age of 60.
- Saudi Arabia: 58 for people who began work before July 2024; it rises to 65 for new entrants.
- Indonesia: 59, rising by one year every three years until it reaches 65.
- China: about 60 y 4 m for men in 2026, and lower for women (about 55 y 4 m for women in office jobs and 50 y 8 m for women in manual jobs). China began its first increase in decades in January 2025.
- France: 62 y 9 m, the lowest in Western Europe.
Low pension ages are often combined with lower life expectancy or small pensions, so they are not always more generous than they look. A pension that starts at 55 but replaces a small share of earnings may be worth less over a lifetime than one that starts at 65 at a higher rate.
Countries With Different Ages for Men and Women
Most rich countries have equalised pension ages, but several still set lower ages for women:
- Brazil: 65 for men, 62 for women.
- Argentina and Chile: 65 for men, 60 for women.
- Poland: 65 for men, 60 for women, after a planned rise to 67 was reversed in 2017.
- Russia: 64 for men and 59 for women in 2026, reaching 65 and 60 in 2028.
- Austria: women's age is rising by six months a year, from 61 y 6 m in 2026 to 65 in 2033.
- Switzerland: women's age is rising in three-month steps, from 64 y 6 m in 2026 to 65 in 2028.
- China and Vietnam: both are raising women's ages more quickly than men's, but large gaps remain.
In the table, the bar and sorting use the men's age where the two differ.
What Changed in 2025 and 2026
Pension ages have moved in many countries in the past two years:
- United Kingdom: the state pension age began rising from 66 to 67 in May 2026, for people born on or after 6 April 1960. The rise will be complete by March 2028. A further rise to 68 is currently planned for 2044–46, and a government review is considering the timing.
- China: from January 2025, ages began rising for the first time in decades, by about one month every four months for men (every two months for women in manual jobs), to reach 63 for men and 58 or 55 for women by around 2040.
- France: the 2026 social security law froze the 2023 reform. The minimum age stays at 62 y 9 m until January 2028, instead of rising to 63. Whether it then resumes its rise to 64 will likely be decided after the 2027 presidential election.
- Italy: the 2026 budget limited the next life expectancy adjustment to three months, phased in as one month in 2027 and two months in 2028.
- Denmark: a May 2025 law confirmed 70 by 2040.
- Singapore: the statutory retirement age rose from 63 to 64 and the re-employment age from 68 to 69 on 1 July 2026, on the way to 65 and 70 by 2030.
New Zealand is a notable exception: raising the NZ Super age from 65 to 67 has been debated for years and remains part of some parties' platforms, but it is not law.
Why Retirement Ages Keep Rising
The reasons are the same almost everywhere:
- People live longer. A 65-year-old in a rich country can expect to live about 20 more years on average, several years longer than when most pension systems were designed. Without a higher pension age, people spend a larger share of their lives drawing a pension.
- Fewer workers per retiree. Low birth rates mean fewer people of working age paying contributions for each pensioner. The OECD expects the ratio of people over 65 to people of working age to rise sharply in most countries by 2050.
- Public finances. Pensions are the largest single item of public spending in many countries. Raising the age is one of the few levers that reduces costs and increases tax revenue at the same time.
The OECD's Pensions at a Glance 2025 report finds that more than half of OECD countries will raise their normal retirement age under current law, and that the average normal retirement age across OECD countries, currently about 64.7 for men and 63.9 for women, will keep rising for future retirees.
Rising ages are politically difficult, which is why reforms are often phased in slowly, softened or reversed, as in France, Poland and Italy. The trend over decades, however, has been clearly upward.
Retiring Abroad or After Working in Several Countries
If you have worked in more than one country, you may be entitled to a pension from each, each payable at that country's own pension age. A few points to know:
- Social security agreements between many countries (and EU rules within the EU) let you combine periods of work to qualify, but each country pays its own share at its own age.
- Some pensions are frozen abroad. The UK, for example, does not increase the state pension each year for people living in many countries outside the European Economic Area, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- Residency tests apply to some pensions, such as New Zealand's NZ Super and Australia's Age Pension.
Our guide What Happens to My 401(k) or Pension If I Move Abroad? explains how to handle pensions and savings when you move.
How to Plan Around Your Pension Age
- Find your exact age. In many countries your pension age depends on your date of birth. Use your national pension agency's calculator: the Social Security Administration in the US, the GOV.UK state pension age checker in the UK, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung in Germany, or the equivalent in your country.
- Check your contribution record. Most systems require a minimum number of years to qualify and more for a full pension. Gaps can sometimes be filled with voluntary contributions.
- Decide whether to claim early or late. Claiming early usually means a permanently lower pension; delaying usually means a higher one. If you are in good health and can afford to wait, delaying is often worth it. Our guide Lump Sum or Monthly Pension: Which Should You Take? (Calculator) covers a related choice.
- Plan for the gap. If you want to stop work before your state pension age, you will need savings or a workplace pension to bridge the gap.
- Assume your age could rise. If you are under 50, plan as if your pension age will be at least a year or two higher than today's law says, especially in countries that link it to life expectancy.
Data Notes
The "pension age" in the table is the normal age for the main public pension for someone reaching that age in 2026. For flexible systems (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada, the US), it is the age at which the main pension is paid without reduction or the reference age the system uses. For countries without a universal contributory pension, such as India and Malaysia, we show the main scheme for private-sector workers and explain this in the notes. Ages were checked in October 2026 against national pension agencies, the OECD's Pensions at a Glance 2025 and the Finnish Centre for Pensions' international comparison. Pension rules change often; if you are close to retirement, confirm your own age with your national pension agency.
Frequently Asked Questions: Retirement Age in Europe
What is Germany's retirement age?
Germany is raising its standard state pension age gradually to 67 for people born in 1964 or later. In 2026 it is 66 years and some months, depending on your year of birth.
Which country has the highest retirement age in 2026?
Among the countries in our table, 67 is the highest normal pension age in 2026, in the US, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Greece. Denmark will rise to 70 by 2040, the highest legislated age in the developed world.
Which country has the lowest retirement age?
Thailand's social security pension starts at 55, and women in some countries can retire earlier: 50 y 8 m for women in manual jobs in China in 2026. Among rich countries, France is lowest at 62 y 9 m.
What is the retirement age in the US in 2026?
Full retirement age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. You can claim Social Security from 62 with a reduced benefit, or delay to 70 for a higher one.
What is the UK state pension age in 2026?
66, but it began rising to 67 in May 2026 for people born on or after 6 April 1960, and will be 67 for everyone by March 2028.
What is the retirement age in Germany?
66 and 4 months for people born in 1960, rising two months for each later birth year to 67 for those born in 1964 or later. You can retire from 63 with 35 years of contributions, with a reduction.
Has France raised its retirement age?
The 2023 reform began raising the minimum age from 62 towards 64, but the 2026 social security law froze it at 62 y 9 m until January 2028.
Is the retirement age the same for men and women?
In most rich countries, yes. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Poland, Russia, China and Vietnam still have lower ages for women, and Austria and Switzerland are phasing out their gaps.
Can I retire before the state pension age?
Yes, if you can live on savings or a workplace pension. Many countries also let you draw a reduced state pension early, but some, including the UK, do not.
Final Thoughts
The age at which you can draw a state pension is creeping up almost everywhere, and in many countries it now depends on your birth year and, increasingly, on life expectancy. For most people in rich countries, 67 is becoming the new 65, and some will work to 68 or 70.
The practical lesson is the same wherever you live: check your exact age and contribution record with your pension agency, plan your savings to cover any gap between when you want to stop work and when your pension starts, and build in some margin for future changes. We will keep this table updated as the rules change.
Sources
- OECD: Pensions at a Glance 2025
- Finnish Centre for Pensions: retirement ages in Europe and other countries
- US Social Security Administration: retirement age and benefit reduction
- GOV.UK: check your State Pension age
- Government of Canada: Canada Pension Plan retirement pension
- Services Australia: Age Pension
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German pension insurance)
- Connexion: how the suspension of France's pension reform affects workers
- La Sicilia: Italian pension age rises one month in 2027 and three months by 2028
- Denmark raises its retirement age to 70 (May 2025)
- Singapore Ministry of Manpower: retirement and re-employment
- Work and Income: New Zealand Superannuation
- Japan Pension Service: national pension
Related Guides
- Compare Countries 2026: Wages, Tax, Mortgages and Pensions
- Average Pension by Country 2026: State Pension Amounts Compared
- Cheapest Countries to Retire Abroad on $2,000 a Month
- Lump Sum or Monthly Pension: Which Should You Take? (Calculator)
- What Happens to My 401(k) or Pension If I Move Abroad?
- Salary Increase 2027 Forecasts by Country: Every Major Survey
- How Much Emergency Fund Do You Need? (With Calculator)
- Why Are Groceries and Prices So Expensive When Inflation Is Down?
Ages checked against national pension agencies, the OECD and the Finnish Centre for Pensions in October 2026. This article is for information and isn't financial advice. Confirm your own pension age with your national pension agency.
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