Policy changes push average Swedish retirement age to 65.4

The average retirement age in Sweden in 2025 was 65.4 years, according to analysis by the Swedish Pensions Agency.

Although the average retirement age in the country has risen in recent years, there was a slight decrease in the average age between 2024 and 2025, as in 2024, the average age was 65.5.

Compared with 2022, however, the 2025 figure has increased from 64.8.

SPA explained that the average retirement age has risen in recent years, mainly due to higher age thresholds in the public pension system.

In 2023, the earliest age for drawing a public pension was raised from 62 to 63, and the guaranteed pension age increased from 65 to 66.

SPA analyst, Alma Masic, commented: “The slight decline in the average retirement age during 2024 and 2025 compared to 2023 was expected, since many of those affected by the 2023 age increases had to delay starting their pension withdrawals until 2024 and 2025.

“Similarly, we expect the introduction of the target retirement age and further age limit increases in 2026 to affect the average retirement age in the coming years.”

The analysis found that retiring at the age of 65 is no longer the norm, with a larger share now retiring at 66.

Nearly eight out of 10 people born in 1938 retired at age 65, whereas among those born in 1960, who turned 65 in 2025, only two out of 10 retired at 65. SPA said that the turning point for this change in retirement age is those born from 1958 onwards.

A higher retirement age, however, has resulted in increased pensions.

SPA explained that pensions are higher for several reasons: they are paid out over fewer years, and there is an additional year of inheritance gains, indexation, and possibly continued accrual of pension rights.

When it comes to occupations, SPA found that the groups with the highest average retirement age are university lecturers, physicists, priests, and doctors

“Artists, musicians, and actors also rank high in the statistics,” Masic added.



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