The two given bar charts illustrate the average age of retired males and females in seven different nations in 2004 and 2008.
Overall, it is evident that the retirement age of men and women in Sweden was the highest in both years, while the opposite can be seen for France. Moreover, the figures for male retirement in seven countries were higher than those for females.
In terms of male retirement, Swedish men recorded the highest average age, ranging from around 63 to just under 64 years old in 2004 and 2008. Moreover, the average retirement age for males in the Netherlands and the UK showed similar figures, rising from well over 62 to about 63 years old. In contrast, the figure for France was the lowest, at approximately 59 years old in 2008. Notably, Italy was the only country where the male retirement age remained unchanged in both years.
A similar pattern was observed among females, although their average retirement ages were generally lower than those of their male counterparts. While the figure for Sweden again topped the chart, at well over 63 years old, the opposite was true for French women, who retired at around 58-59 years old. In most other nations, the average age for women increased slightly, with the exception of Italy, where it dropped from roughly 60 to just under well over 59 years old.