Fewer people over 60 are taking early retirement
The share of people aged 60 and over who have retired before reaching the state pension age has been steadily decreasing. Ten percent of people in this age group were reliant on a pension as their main source of income in 2024, compared to 16 percent in 2014. During the same period, the state pension age was raised from 65 years and two months to 67 years. A pension may include an early retirement pension through their employer or a survivor's pension.
In 2024, nearly half of people in their sixties but below the state pension age earned their primary income from work as an employee, up from 37 percent in 2014. The number of people in this age group receiving unemployment benefit in 2024 (2 percent) was lower than in 2014 (4 percent). The maximum length for which people are entitled to claim unemployment benefit was reduced from 38 months in 2014 to two years in 2024.
The share of people aged between 60 and the state pension age and are self-employed increased from 10 percent to 13 percent. In 2024, 9 percent of people in this age group had no income of their own, down from 15 percent in 2014. However, 80 percent of those without an income were living with a partner with an income.
| inkomen | 2014 (%) | 2024 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | 37.3 | 47.7 |
| Self-employment | 9.7 | 12.8 |
| Occupational disability/ sickness benefit | 11.8 | 11.9 |
| Pension | 15.7 | 10.1 |
| No income of their own | 15.1 | 9.4 |
| Social assistance benefit | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Social security benefit/ other benefit | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| Unemployment benefit | 4.5 | 1.7 |
Employed persons most likely to have a supplementary pension
A total of 1.3 million people aged between 60 and the state pension age had a supplementary pension with an employer in 2024. This was true for 96 percent of people in this age group who were in employment, and for those receiving unemployment benefit (95 percent) and occupational disability benefit or sickness benefit (86 percent).
By contrast, only 6 percent of self-employed persons had an employment-related pension, likely from a previous job as an employee. Self-employed persons may well have accrued an individual pension or supplementary pension in addtion to their state pension (AOW).
The largest number of people aged 60 and over without any pension arrangement are recipients of social assistance benefit: 73 percent in this group had no supplementary pension. The second largest group were those with no income of their own, of whom 50 percent have no supplementary pension.
| Inkomen | Aanspraak <€594(afkoopsom) of niet aanwezig (%) | €594 tot €4.196 (%) | €4.196 tot €10.657 (%) | €10.657 tot €20.887 (%) | Meer dan €20.887 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self employment | 33.9 | 28.3 | 18.0 | 10.8 | 9.0 |
| No income of their own | 51.6 | 27.6 | 10.7 | 5.7 | 4.4 |
| Social assistance benefit | 73.3 | 21.2 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Social security benefit other benefit | 44.9 | 24.4 | 18.4 | 8.3 | 4.0 |
| Sickness benefit/ occupational disability benefit | 14.3 | 25.0 | 28.0 | 21.8 | 11.0 |
| Unemployment benefit | 4.8 | 15.9 | 22.0 | 27.7 | 29.6 |
| Employment | 3.8 | 13.7 | 22.1 | 28.4 | 32.0 |
| 1)accrued with an employer | |||||
Women less likely to have supplementary pension
In 2024, more women than men in their sixties took early retirement: 92 thousand women compared to nearly 74 thousand men. Women (27 percent) were more likely than men (18 percent) to have no supplementary pension with an employer. Across all groups, women were less likely to have a supplementary pension. The gap was smallest among self-employed persons.
| Inkomen | <€594 (lump sum payment) or none (%) | €594 to €4195 (%) | €4196 to €10656 (%) | €10657 to €20886 (%) | > €20887 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | |||||
| Self-employment | 39.2 | 31.0 | 15.7 | 8.6 | 5.4 |
| No income of their own | 55.1 | 29.1 | 9.7 | 4.1 | 2.0 |
| Social assistance benefit | 79.2 | 17.7 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Social security benefit/ other benefit | 48.3 | 27.0 | 16.5 | 6.3 | 1.9 |
| Sickness benefit/ occupational disability benefit | 17.1 | 31.0 | 28.0 | 17.1 | 6.9 |
| Unemployment benefit | 6.1 | 24.0 | 27.7 | 25.5 | 16.8 |
| Employment | 5.2 | 22.1 | 29.1 | 25.5 | 18.1 |
| Men | |||||
| Self-employment | 31.0 | 26.8 | 19.3 | 12.0 | 11.0 |
| No income of their own | 37.5 | 21.6 | 15.1 | 11.7 | 14.1 |
| Social assistance benefit | 65.2 | 26.0 | 7.1 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Social security benefit/ other benefit | 41.7 | 22.0 | 20.2 | 10.2 | 5.9 |
| Sickness benefit/ occupational disability benefit | 11.2 | 18.6 | 28.0 | 26.8 | 15.4 |
| Unemployment benefit | 3.8 | 9.9 | 17.8 | 29.4 | 39.1 |
| Employment | 2.7 | 6.3 | 16.1 | 30.9 | 44.1 |
| 1)accrued with an employer. People aged between 60 and state pension age, 2024 | |||||