Retirement Age by Country

The age you can get a state pension, how early you can retire, the rises already planned and whether an employer can make you retire, in 33 countries. Open a country to work out your own pension date from your birthday.

Your country

Africa

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
South Africa	60	55	None set	Contract
Nigeria	60	50	Debated	60 (govt)
Kenya	60	50	None set	60 (govt)

Americas

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
United States	67	62	None set	No
Canada	65	60	None set	No
Brazil	62 / 65	59.5 / 64.5	To 2031	No
Mexico	65	60	None set	No

Asia

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
Bangladesh	59	25 yrs	None set	60 / 59
India	60	50	None set	60 (govt)
Pakistan	60	50 / 55	Debated	60 (govt)
Japan	65	60	None set	60–65
South Korea	63	58	65 by 2033	60

Europe

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
United Kingdom	66	57	67 → 68	No
Ireland	66	66	None set	Contract
Germany	66 + 4 m	63	None set	Contract
France	62 + 9 m	58	→ 64	70
Spain	66 + 10 m	64 + 10 m	67 in 2027	Contract
Italy	67	Any age	67 + 3 m	No
Netherlands	67	None	67 + 3 m	AOW age
Belgium	66	60–63	67 in 2030	No
Portugal	66 + 9 m	60	66 + 11 m	70
Austria	61.5 / 65	62–63	Women → 65	No
Sweden	67	64	Rising	69
Norway	67	62	Rising	72
Denmark	67	64	70 by 2040	No
Finland	65	63	Rising	70
Poland	60 / 65	Few	None set	No
Turkey	58 / 60	EYT	→ 65	65 (govt)

Middle East

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
Saudi Arabia	60–65	25 yrs	→ 65	Pension age
United Arab Emirates	55–60	Varies	None set	No
Qatar	60	50	None set	Contract

Oceania

Country	Retire	Earliest	Changes	Must retire
Australia	67	60	None set	No
New Zealand	65	65	None set	No

Checked 23 October 2026 against pension authorities, national laws and recent reporting on reforms. “Retire” is the age the main state or public pension starts. Where two ages are shown, such as “60 / 65”, the first is for women unless the country page says otherwise. “m” means months. Rules change and this is a summary, not financial or legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common retirement age?

Between 65 and 67. Of the countries listed here, United States, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Australia pay the state pension at 67. Many others, such as Canada, Japan and Mexico, use 65, and several are moving from 65 or 66 towards 67.

Which countries have the highest retirement age?

Denmark is raising its pension age to 70 by 2040, the highest in law anywhere. Italy (67 and 3 months by 2028), the Netherlands (67 and 3 months from 2028) and Sweden link their ages to life expectancy, so they keep rising.

Where is the retirement age lowest?

Among the countries listed here, women in Turkey (58) and Poland (60), and government employees in Bangladesh (59), retire earliest. South Africa pays its older person’s grant from 60, and Saudi and Qatari nationals can retire at 60 under their older rules.

Is the retirement age going up?

In most countries, yes. The UK is moving to 67 by 2028, Belgium to 67 in 2030, Denmark to 68 in 2030, and Austria is raising women’s age to 65 by 2033. France suspended its rise to 64 until 2028.

Can I be forced to retire?

In the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark, mandatory retirement is banned for almost all jobs. Elsewhere contracts often end at the pension age, and government jobs in South Asia and Africa usually end at 59 or 60. Each country page explains the rules.