Recent figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reveal that, in 2022, 12 percent fewer workers in the Netherlands started to claim pensions compared to 2021. The average retirement age last year was 65 years and eight months. 

CBS: 84.000 workers went on pension last year

According to the Dutch statistics office, a total of 84.000 workers went on pension in 2022, marking a 12 percent decrease from the previous year. Furthermore, the average age of those retiring has risen by three months since 2021, up to 65 years and eight months - almost equal to the 2020 average of 65 years and seven months.

As CBS reports, this means that around 49 percent of retirees in 2022 retired ahead of the state pension age of 66 years and 7 months. Interestingly, between 2002 and 2006, around 90 percent of those retiring were younger than the retirement age at the time - 65 years. Since 2007, however, “an increasingly smaller proportion of people retired earlier than the state pension age.”

Average retirement age in the Netherlands now over 65

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lowest average age of retirement was among those working in public administration (i.e. civil servants working for the government or municipalities). In this sector, the average retirement age in 2022 was 65,1 years.

Those working in the Dutch healthcare sector or in education also had lower-than-average retirement ages last year (65,2 and 65,4 years respectively). Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum are those working in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, with an average age of 66,6 years. CBS states that 2022 marks the first year where the average retirement age across all industries was over 65. 

Dutch workers open to the idea of working for longer

Research conducted by CBS also reveals that those with jobs in the Netherlands are planning to work longer than their predecessors. Workers aged between 45 and 65 indicated that they intend to work until an average age of 65,1 years. Just eight years ago, this figure was 64,3 years. 

85 percent of those aged 45 to 65 also stated that they would be willing to work longer if their working conditions changed - for example, if they reduced their number of hours or switched to doing less (physically) demanding work.

Thumb: Henk Vrieselaar via Shutterstock.com.