11 Countries with the Youngest Retirement Ages

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There are many factors that affect the age at which a person retires. One factor is where they live. These 11 countries have some of the earliest retirement ages in the world.

The 2008 recession has done a lot to change the retirement game. Many people became spooked or lost savings, prompting them to postpone their retirements. Others were forced into early retirement when their employers downsized. In many countries, the economy wreaked havoc on public pension plans.

Domestically, these factors, along with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, has caused many to call for the US to raise its official retirement age. A Gallup poll released in April found 37% of non-retired Americans now expect to keep working past age 65. That’s up from just 14% two decades ago. That said, 32% of Americans still expect to retire before 65.

Overall, though, 65 remains a golden number for many workers in the US. A 2013 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found the average age of retirement for Americans from 2007-2012 was exactly 65 years of age. That puts Americans at the older end of retirees among OECD member countries.

The OECD country with the oldest retirement age is Mexico, where men work until 72.3 years of age on average and women work until they are 68.7 years old. Such a gender gap is common in many countries, some of which have different official retirement ages for men and women.

The OECD report on which this story is based is not comprehensive. The OECD has 34 member countries, mostly in North America and Canada, though the list also includes Australia, Israel, Chile, South Korea, and a handful of other nations. However, the list provides a glimpse into the expectations of workers in developed countries.

What follow are the 11 countries with the lowest average effective retirement ages. We’re using the effective retirement age as opposed to countries’ official retirement ages, since the former more accurately reflect actual workers’ experience. In each capsule, you’ll find the average effective retirement ages for men and women, along with the life expectancy in that country. All data come from the OECD.