The European Union covers 32 countries in the analysis of demographic and social indicators, including Turkey. In 2024, the average age of exit from the labour market was 64.7 years for men, while for women the threshold was lower, at 64. Despite this difference in age, women in the EU spend more time in retirement than men, specifically 3.4 years longer.
Life expectancy plays a key role in these statistics. Men in the EU live on average to 83.1 years, while women live to 85.8 years. This difference in life expectancy contributes to the fact that women spend more years in retirement, despite leaving the workforce earlier. In comparison, in OECD countries, women receive pensions on average 23 per cent lower than men, which further highlights inequalities in the pension system.
In Turkey, which is also included in this analysis, the situation is different. Men can retire at the age of 52, which is significantly earlier than in most European countries. Women in Turkey also have a lower retirement age, although the exact age is not specified; the data suggests similar trends to the EU. Men in Turkey, on average, exit the labour market at 60.8 years, while women exit at 60.5 years. The number of years of life after exiting the labour market is 18.2 for men and 22.6 for women, indicating significant differences in the duration of retirement between the sexes.
