The bar charts compare the average retirement age for men and women across seven European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK) in 2004 and 2008.
Overall, men generally retired at an older age than women in both years. Additionally, average retirement ages increased slightly in most countries over the four-year period. Across both years and both genders, Sweden recorded the highest average retirement age, whereas France consistently had the lowest.
Regarding men, those in Sweden retired at the highest average age, rising from 63 to 64 years between 2004 and 2008. The Netherlands saw an increase from 62 to 63 years, while Germany experienced the most notable growth, jumping from 61 to 62 years. Denmark and the UK both stood at 62 years in 2004 and reached 63 years in 2008. In contrast, French men retired at the youngest age, moving slightly from 58 to 59 years, while Italy remained unchanged at 60 years.
For women, Sweden again topped the chart, with the average retirement age rising from 63 to 64 years. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK all followed an upward trend, each increasing by one year to reach 60, 61, 62, and 61 years in 2008, respectively. Conversely, French women maintained the lowest retirement age at 58 in 2004 and 59 in 2008. Italy was the only country to show a decrease, with the female retirement age dropping from 60 to 59 years.