UK retirement age needs to rise to 71, report shows

The retirement age for middle-aged workers in the United Kingdom will need to rise to 71, due to the effects of increasing life expectancy and declining birthrates on the state pension, research suggests.

Between May 2026 and March 2028, the current pension age in the UK, which is 66, is anticipated to increase to 67, and is projected to rise to 68 by 2044.

A report from the International Longevity Centre, titled State Pension Age and Demographic Change, indicates that with a high rate of workers currently exiting the workforce before they reach state pension age primarily due to poor health, the current measures fall short of what is needed to sustain the pension system.