The bar chart compares the average age of workforce exit for men and women across seven European nations between 2004 and 2008.
Overall, men consistently retired at an older age than women in all featured countries. Furthermore, while most nations witnessed an upward trajectory in retirement ages for both genders over the four-year period, Italy stood as a notable exception.
Regarding male retirement, Swedish men worked for the longest period, peaking at almost 63.9 years old. The UK and the Netherlands followed a similar pattern, with ages rising from 61 years to roughly 62.3 years, and increasing from 60 to nearly 61.7 years old, respectively. The retirement ages in Germany and Denmark both witnessed a 1-year gain. France moved from 58 years to approximately 59 years old, whereas Italy remained unchanged, stuck at 58 years old over the 4-year period.
Looking at female retirement, women in Sweden consistently recorded the highest retirement age, reaching almost 62.3 years. The UK experienced a 1-year rise, increasing from 60 years to roughly 61 years. Dutch women recorded the second-highest figure at almost 60 years, while Germany saw the largest increase, rising by almost 1.5 years. Denmark and France followed a similar trend, both ascending between 58 and 58.5 years. Conversely, Italy was the sole nation where the retirement age declined, dropping slightly from 57 years in 2004 down to 56 years in 2008