The average retirement age by country, visualized

Visualize America’s retirement savings by age

The median retirement savings for Americans was $87K as of May 2024. Some financial experts might find that number concerning, since a recent Northwestern Mutual survey found that $1.46M is the ideal retirement savings target. A graphic shows the current averages and medians broken down by age group.

Americans are retiring later than they used to

A Gallup poll from 2022 found that the percentage of adults between the ages of 55 and 74 who are retired is declining.

The overall median annual salary in the US was $62,192 as of 2025

The age group with the highest median annual salary in the US, $70,824, was made up of people ages 45 to 54, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from July 28, 2025.

Roughly 10% of the world's population is older than 65 (2023 data)

With recent advances in medicine, sanitation, and nutrition, expected lifespans have rapidly risen around the globe—resulting in a rapidly aging global population. The worldwide distribution has seen a nearly 600% jump in the population of people aged 65 and older.

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans over age 65 is still working

While many of these Americans are often working part-time, the share varies significantly by US state. While roughly 29% of those over the age of 65 work in Vermont, only about 17% do the same in West Virginia.

8 key milestone ages in retirement

At age 50, you can make catch-up contributions to retirement accounts. At age 65, you become eligible for Medicare.

Who has retirement accounts?

Though every worker wants to retire, only some have retirement accounts. Data from the Census Bureau shows those who currently own such accounts are disproportionately white and Asian men in the Baby Boomer generation, suggesting access to these crucial retirement plans is not equal. Dive into the numbers and get a sense of who has retirement accounts here.

Retirement expectations versus reality

There's a big gap between what many Americans expect to happen during retirement and what actually happens—at least according to one financial planner. In this article, the financial planner in question explores how retirement expectations can differ from reality, exploring financial considerations such as how long people expect to work part-time during retirement, and more. Read the article here.

A work-free retirement is a relatively recent development in human history

Though it looks different in other countries, economic historians trace retirement's rise in the US to a growth in personal income through pensions, GDP, and Social Security.

Calculate your Social Security full retirement age

The year you were born determines when you become eligible for your Social Security full retirement age benefit. Spoiler alert, that age is no longer always 65. If you want to use this calculator to determine your full retirement age—and learn more about the drawbacks of claiming Social Security early—click here.

Visualizing cause of death over time in America

As people age, their life expectancy decreases, but the timing and speed of this decline have evolved over the years. Check out this chart which shows the shift in various causes of death of Americans over the last few decades. Data from the...

Many countries, like Iceland and Norway, offer pensions to elderly citizens

Iceland, Luxembourg, and Norway offer some of the highest annual pension payouts at over 30,000 euros. The below chart shows how European nations stack up in terms of which offer the highest annual pension payouts.

Tracking annual working hours per worker in major countries

In 2023, China's workers averaged 2,328 hours per year, far ahead of the second country on the list, the United States, at 1,789. This chart shows the relative decrease of total work time across the world since the late 1800s.

The 10 best US states to retire in, ranked

Out of all 50 states, Delaware was recently deemed the number one state for a happy retirement. That ranking is based on a few factors, including weather, affordability, healthcare, crime, and more. Want to know what other states ranked in the top 10 as of 2024? Click here to find out.

The disparity in life expectancy between wealthy and impoverished nations has notably narrowed

In 1950, people in Norway lived to age 72, on average, while those in Mali lived to just 26. By 2015, the countries with the worst conditions had made such significant progress that the global average life expectancy had surpassed the rate of any nation in 1950.

US pension plan adoption has declined from 1975 to 2021

Pension plans are a form of guaranteed retirement plan for long-time workers, and they were a major part of industries in the mid-20th century. With the rise of the 401(k) and similar tax-advantaged, defined-contribution accounts, these so-called defined-benefit plans have declined in use by employers. Compare US adoption of both kinds in this table.

Most common jobs in the US

Most US government organizations list roughly 500 primary occupations that most Americans fall into, such as teachers and cashiers. Using data from the 2018 through 2022 American Community Survey, these graphics break down the most common jobs in the US by age, gender, and more. See the graphics here.

Hawaii is the most expensive state for funding a 40-year retirement

If someone wanted to retire by the time they were 40 years old in Hawaii, they would need to save an estimated $4,557,767. See how other states meaasure up in this article.

The countries with the highest wealth per person, ranked

When looking at countries with the highest average wealth per person, the United States comes in at number three (with $564,862 per person). But the US doesn't even make the top 10 when looking at the median wealth per person rather than the average, which is perhaps a more accurate version of the data. Explore the numbers here.

The US has been through 34 recessions since 1854

From 1855 to 2020, the average US recession lasted for an average of 17 months. But in the 20th and 21st centuries, the average recession length has shortened, decreasing to 14 months.

The latest data on US motherhood

Here’s a snapshot of what motherhood looks like in the U.S. today, drawn from government data and Pew Research Center surveys. The list includes seven headline statistics with visual graphs, including the average age of a mother's first childbirth...

The US youth unemployment rate jumped from 6.6% in 2023 to 10.4% in 2025

Specifically, the "youth unemployment rate" here refers to those aged 16 to 24. Whether the culprit is AI, more people getting college degrees or something else, experts argue this could have a negative impact on the economy going forward.

The US lags behind other developed countries in math and science scores

The Programme for International Student Assessment, administered every three years by the OECD to 15-year-olds, scores US students below the OECD average in math (465 vs. 472) and only slightly above average in science (499 vs. 485). These figures place US pupils in the lower half of developed nations.

Vizualize global debt by country

Global debt reached $226T by the end of 2020—the biggest one-year jump since World War II. This graphic compares the debt-to-GDP ratio of various countries.

US macular degeneration burden is based on statistical modeling and Medicare claims

Prevalence estimates for age-related macular degeneration in the US are usually based on the Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System. Disease numbers are generated using Bayesian meta-regression (a type of statistical modeling), which pulls together information from multiple sources, including Medicare claims.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

Visualize the path of every solar eclipse from 1900 to 2099 and see what each looks like when observed from different locations on Earth.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.