Retirement Ages on the Rise: A Global Shift in 2025

In 2020, I wrote about the growing pressure from businesses, financial institutions, and governments to raise retirement ages or delay eligibility for public pensions. Five years later, the debate has not faded in fact, it has intensified. What was once considered a politically toxic idea has, in many countries, become part of long-term fiscal planning. The challenge is straightforward: people are living longer, but fertility rates are falling. That means fewer workers are supporting more retirees, and the costs of sustaining pension systems are rising rapidly. Over the next three posts I will look at this issue in more depth.

Across the globe, governments are grappling with the same problem: how to keep pension systems affordable without triggering extreme public debt. New Zealand’s Treasury, for example, has again raised alarms about the sustainability of its pension program. Officials warn that without either higher taxes or a higher retirement age, the country faces a trajectory of unsustainable debt. Yet most political parties remain unwilling to propose a jump from 65 to 72, knowing how unpopular such a move would be.

The dilemma is hardly unique to New Zealand. According to the OECD, more countries are now tying retirement age to life expectancy, ensuring that as people live longer, they also work longer. Europe has been at the forefront of this shift, with projections showing that average retirement ages will approach 67 , or higher , by 2060. Denmark, in fact, has already legislated an increase to 70 by 2040, the highest in Europe.

China joined the wave in 2024 with sweeping reforms that will gradually raise statutory retirement ages for men and women over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, in Czechia, lawmakers voted in 2024 to delay retirement for future cohorts and reduce pension payouts for younger workers, an explicit recognition that current benefits are unsustainable.

The United States is moving more cautiously but along the same path. In 2025, people born in 1959 will see their Social Security full retirement age rise to 66 years and 10 months. Gradual increases are already built into the system, and further proposals are under consideration to index retirement age to life expectancy in future decades.

Make Every Day Your Own Adventure

One of the most exciting truths about retirement is that every day is an adventure of your own choosing. Without the constraints of work schedules, deadlines, or commuting, you have the freedom to shape your days, seek new experiences, and fill your life with stories worth sharing.

For me, this past week has been a series of small, self-directed adventures. I learned a new software package while creating posters for an event, a task that turned into a playful exploration of creativity. I downloaded skiing videos from my grandson, mastering technology I hadn’t touched in years. I experimented with new recipes when my wife wasn’t feeling her best. Each of these moments might seem ordinary on the surface, yet they became personal adventures because I approached them with curiosity and enthusiasm.

Even ordinary routines can be transformed into adventures with the right mindset. One afternoon, standing at the kitchen window, I spotted a pair of blue jays perched in our cedar tree. Rare visitors, their arrival sparked a quiet sense of wonder. I spent several minutes observing their behavior, noting their colors and interactions. That simple moment reminded me that adventure isn’t only about travel or high-energy activities; it can be found in small, attentive observations in your own backyard.

Retirement allows you to design your routine in a way that brings excitement, learning, and joy. You might choose to explore new hobbies, take a class, volunteer, or simply savor the natural world around you. Each day offers choices, and those choices determine the adventures you have. By intentionally approaching life with curiosity, you can turn even mundane activities into memorable experiences.

The beauty of this approach is that adventure doesn’t require planning or expense. It can be as simple as experimenting with a new recipe, learning a technological skill, or noticing something beautiful in your environment. What matters is the mindset: viewing each day as a canvas, ready for your own creative touch.

Retirement is not about slowing down, it’s about reclaiming your time and using it to enrich your life in ways that matter to you. Every morning you wake up, you have the opportunity to embark on a new adventure, even if it’s just within the walls of your home or the limits of your neighborhood.

So, embrace the freedom retirement brings. Plan the adventures you want, savor the ones that surprise you, and celebrate the small victories and discoveries along the way. Each day is yours to shape, and each evening offers the chance to dream about the adventures tomorrow might hold. In retirement, life is a story you get to write, one advent

Seeing the Everyday with Fresh Eyes

Retirement can feel like stepping into a quieter rhythm, a slower pace of life. And yet, sometimes the most extraordinary experiences come from this very slowing down. By taking a fresh perspective on everyday tasks, you can uncover rewards that might have gone unnoticed for years.

A simple week in my life illustrates this beautifully. I spent time learning a new software package to make posters for an event. The challenge initially felt cumbersome, but as I explored the program, I began to see creative possibilities I hadn’t imagined. What was once a mundane task became a playful exercise in problem-solving and experimentation. Retirement allows these kinds of discoveries, where curiosity transforms the ordinary into something rewarding.

Later in the week, I faced another ordinary task with a fresh eye: cooking dinner. My wife wasn’t feeling well, so I stepped in. Normally, dinner is routine, but this time I experimented with new flavors and methods. The result was delightful, but the greater joy came from approaching the familiar task differently. Each new perspective brought small lessons in creativity, adaptability, and patience.

Sometimes, the rewards are quiet and unexpected. One afternoon, I was standing at the kitchen window with a snack when a pair of blue jays appeared on the cedar tree. I paused, observing their movements and the way they interacted. These birds are not frequent visitors, so it felt like a small miracle. The experience reminded me that even routine moments, a glance out the window, a walk through the garden, can offer fresh insights when we slow down and pay attention.

What makes this perspective so valuable is its accessibility. You don’t need to travel far or spend money to experience novelty. Instead, you learn to see your surroundings, your tasks, and your relationships in a new light. Each day presents an opportunity to notice something you’ve never noticed before, and in doing so, you gain a quiet sense of fulfillment.

Retirement invites us to embrace the small adventures hidden in daily life. Whether it’s mastering a new skill, experimenting in the kitchen, or simply observing nature, approaching the world with fresh eyes enriches your experience. Life doesn’t have to be dramatic to be rewarding; sometimes it’s the subtle shifts in perspective that bring the most joy.

So, pause in your routine, look closely, and explore the ordinary. With a fresh perspective, every chore, task, and glance around your home or neighborhood becomes a chance to learn, grow, and feel delight. Retirement isn’t about stepping back from life, it’s about stepping fully into it, with curiosity, openness, and appreciation.

Finding Energy and Stimulation in Everyday Life

When most people think of retirement, they imagine long afternoons of leisure, perhaps with a good book or a stroll in the park. While these moments are wonderful, retirement also offers something deeper: the chance to find energy and stimulation in the ordinary rhythm of daily life.

This week, my “adventures” were mostly small and familiar, yet they brought a surprising vitality. I spent time creating posters for an upcoming event. The task required me to learn new software, a process that was at first frustrating but quickly became engaging. Clicking, dragging, adjusting layouts, and exploring functions all became a puzzle I wanted to solve. By the time I finished, I wasn’t just proud of the posters; I felt energized by the process of problem-solving and creation.

Later, I tackled another challenge: helping my grandson download videos from Instagram. At first, I hesitated, unsure where to start. But the mental stimulation of learning a new tool and solving a real-world problem provided a spark of excitement. It was a reminder that mental engagement doesn’t require grand projects, just a willingness to stretch your mind and try something unfamiliar.

Even everyday tasks, like cooking dinner, can bring unexpected stimulation. My wife was having a rough day, so I took over the evening meal. Experimenting with new techniques and flavors was both creative and energizing. I found myself fully immersed in the experience, savoring the process as much as the result. These small moments accumulate into a larger sense of vitality, a reminder that stimulation is not about novelty alone, but about being present and engaged.

Retirement provides the time to notice what often goes overlooked. I had a quiet moment at the kitchen window one afternoon, watching a pair of blue jays in our cedar tree. It was a simple scene, yet observing their delicate movements and listening to their calls brought a sense of wonder and connection. Even the most “ordinary” life is full of energy if we pause to see it.

The lesson here is clear: stimulation doesn’t only come from travel or grand projects. It’s found in learning a new skill, solving a small problem, experimenting in the kitchen, or observing nature in your backyard. These moments keep the mind sharp, the heart engaged, and the spirit lively.

Retirement doesn’t have to slow you down. In fact, it offers a unique freedom to cultivate engagement in ways you couldn’t before. By approaching each day with curiosity and an open mind, you can discover energy and joy in the rhythm of normal life.

When you allow yourself to notice, participate, and experiment, every day becomes an opportunity to be fully alive. The stimulation is all around you, sometimes in a software program, sometimes in a cooking adventure, and sometimes in the quiet flutter of a bird outside your window. Retirement is a stage of life where ordinary moments become extraordinary simply by being fully present.