UK: For Britons, Old Age Now Starts at 71

. CARDIFF, Wales / icWales.co.uk, February 22, 2006: IT'S official - you're not old until you're 71! Brits believe old age doesn’t start until 71. Retired Brits are just as happy as Australians and happier than the Spanish. Globetrotting is a favoured pastime of the post-work population. We’re not old until we reach our seventies according to the AXA Retirement Scope global report, which questioned over 8,000 people around the world about age and retirement. This news could warm the heart of anyone entering their sixties – especially as there is a clear global agreement on the issue of “old age”. People in many countries (USA, Canada and Spain) believe you’re not old until 75 and others (Italy and Australia) until you’re 73. However, there’s bad news for fiftysomethings in Hong Kong and Japan where you are considered over the hill at only 59 and 57. The fact that we are not considered old until we reach our seventies doesn’t actually mean we want to keep working until then however – ideally we’d all retire at 55. Retired people questioned by AXA confirmed that the majority had retired early at an average age of 59, and that they don’t see themselves as old until 78. So there is a whole new generation of active retirees who’ve got plenty of time on their hands and the energy to enjoy it. Can’t work /won’t work? The Brits are rampant supporters of older people working – as long as it’s not us personally! And 50% of UK workers claim they would like to hold down a paid job during retirement but the reality is that only 9% of retired people actually do. However 90% of people say over 65s are good at work, in fact around the world the UK is more convinced of the value of older workers than anyone, aside from Americans (93%). But if we’re not actually working during this time before we get old – what are we doing? Invasion of the Brits Retired people have discovered wanderlust; retired Brits travel the world more than any other nation. We are also far more likely to travel abroad, three times as likely as Americans and six times more likely than the Japanese. Only 5% of retired people travel alone, despite the common misconception of a lonely old age – we are far more likely to be globetrotting with our partners (60%), friends (26%) or children (19%). A golden age – healthy and happy Our post-work population is robustly healthy, perhaps best proved by the fact that one in 10 retired people still have parents alive. Eight in 10 feel very or rather healthy, as you can tell from their favourite pastimes; gardening (39%), walking/hiking (30%) and playing sports (24%). Retired Brits also believe in looking after their health with two thirds regularly exercising and sticking to a healthy diet. The good news doesn’t stop there, even though 73% of retired people confirm that their income is lower than when they worked, 70% also confirm that their standard of living has increased or stayed the same (mainly because they already own most of the things they need, adjust their lifestyles to suit their means and have paid off their mortgages) whilst even more people (80%) confirm their quality of life has also increased or stayed the same. The vast majority (94%) of retired people feel happy with their life and retired Brits are actually happier than most other European countries. Whilst the retired seem to be having the time of their lives, it doesn’t mean that the current generation will enjoy such a rosy future if it does not concentrate on saving. By Marlene Shalton