Does early retirement increase life expectancy?

Asked by: Jerrold Grimes  |  Last update: July 30, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (51 votes)

One of the most striking revelations from the review was that early retirement—defined as retiring before the statutory retirement age—did not appear to increase the risk of dying earlier compared to those who worked until the retirement age.

Do people live longer if they retire earlier?

Conclusions. We did not find an association between early retirement, compared with continued work participation, and mortality. On-time retirement, compared with working beyond retirement, was associated with a higher risk of mortality.

What is the healthiest retirement age?

You're Likely to Live Longer If You Retire After 65.

How long is life expectancy after retirement?

According to their table, for instance, the average remaining lifespan for a 65-year-old woman is 19.66 years, reaching 84.66 years old in total. The remaining lifespan for a 65-year-old man is 16.94 years, reaching 81.94 years in total.

Is there a downside to retiring early?

#1 – A greater chance of running out of money

Running out of money is a major risk of retiring too early. The potential to outlive your retirement savings may seem straightforward but can add complexity. If you retire at age 40 and live until age 90, you'll need enough retirement savings to last for 50 years.

How Long Will You Live? Estimate Your Life Expectancy for Retirement Planning!

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Does anyone regret retiring early?

More than one-third (37%) of retirees regret not working longer,2 according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Retiring too early can be a regrettable choice for many reasons. For starters, leaving the workforce early means relying on your savings for a longer time.

What is a good age for early retirement?

A worker can choose to retire as early as age 62, but doing so may result in a reduction of as much as 30 percent. Starting to receive benefits after normal retirement age may result in larger benefits. With delayed retirement credits, a person can receive his or her largest benefit by retiring at age 70.

What body type lives the longest?

Pear Shape

It's more common among women, and it may be part of the reason they often live longer than men. That could be because belly fat, more common in men, is linked to more health problems than lower-body fat.

How long will $500,000 last in retirement?

Summary. If you withdraw $20,000 from the age of 60, $500k will last for over 30 years. Retirement plans, annuities and Social Security benefits should all be considered when planning your future finances. You can retire at 50 with $500k, but it will take a lot of planning and some savvy decision-making.

What is the strongest predictor of longevity?

Previous analyses of these data found that the strongest predictors of longevity (when age, sex, and race are controlled) where physical function, non- smoking, work satisfaction, and happiness (Palmore, 1969a, b; Palmore, 1974; Palmore & Jeffers, 1971).

What is the happiest age to retire?

On average, 63 is the ideal age for retirement according to both retirees and pre-retirees. While current retirees are hitting close to that mark with an average actual retirement age of 62, there are signs that future retirees could have more difficulty retiring at their ideal age.

What percent of the US population dies before age 80?

According to 2015 age-specific mortality rates, almost 60 percent of the 2015 birth cohort will live past 80, while more than 20 percent will die before 70.

What is the best income to retire?

Financial planners often recommend replacing about 80% of your pre-retirement income to sustain the same lifestyle after you retire. This means that if you earn $100,000 per year, you'd aim for at least $80,000 of income (in today's dollars) in retirement.

Is it healthier to keep working or retire?

Post-retirement work, which can provide a social outlet, has been linked to improved health2 and lower rates of depression. With some companies adopting remote work as the norm, the ability to do your job from anywhere — even your vacation home — could provide even more incentive to continue working in retirement.

Does health decline after retirement?

In fact, research has shown that leaving the working world behind can boost the risk for heart disease and other medical conditions by 40 percent in some retirees.

At what age do most adults retire?

What is the average retirement age in the US?
  • A 2024 study found that the average retirement age is 62, though most retirees and pre-retirees believe the ideal retirement age is 63.
  • The average retirement age has increased from age 57 in 1991.
  • Fewer adults in their 60s are retired.

Can I retire at 62 with $400,000 in 401k?

If you have $400,000 in the bank you can retire early at age 62, but it will be tight. The good news is that if you can keep working for just five more years, you are on track for a potentially quite comfortable retirement by full retirement age.

How many people have $3000000 in savings?

Probably 1 in every 20 families have a net worth exceeding $3 Million, but most people's net worth is their homes, cars, boats, and only 10% is in savings, so you would typically have to have a net worth of $30 million, which is 1 in every 1000 families.

What is the 4 rule for retirement?

The 4% rule is a popular retirement withdrawal strategy that suggests retirees can safely withdraw the amount equal to 4% of their savings during the year they retire and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year for 30 years.

Who lives longer, skinny or fat?

The study, published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, showed that life expectancy for obese men and women was 4.2 and 3.5 years shorter respectively than people in the entire healthy BMI weight range. The difference for underweight men and women was 4.3 (men) and 4.5 (women) years.

How rare is it to live past 90?

At the end of the study, about 16% of the men and about 34% of the women survived to the age of 90. In fact, the authors found women who were taller than 5 feet 9 inches were 31% more likely to reach 90, compared to those who were under 5 feet 3 inches.

What shorten their lifespan?

Smoking causes toxic effects to the person, which can shorten their life expectancy by up to 10 years. If people sit for more than 8 hours a day, they are at risk of dying early by 20%. People with tight friendships and families have up to a 50% chance of survival.

What is the smartest age to retire?

Retiring in your mid-60s still makes sense for many people. At this point, you are old enough to have hopefully amassed sizable savings, but you are still young enough to enjoy active pursuits such as travel.