One third of pre-retirees worried about how they will spend their time in retirement

By February 13, 2023News
Retired woman drinking coffee alone in the morning in the kitchen wondering what to do with her time.

A new survey has revealed that one third of people approaching retirement are concerned about how they will spend their time after retiring. The survey, which was carried out by the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPC) amongst over 50’s, revealed the concerns of this age cohort in relation to their later years.

A number of themes emerged from the responses, including feeling like they won’t have a sense purpose; financial concerns; and difficulty dealing with a lack of structure.

Paul Kenny, Course Leader at the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland said:

“The results from our most recent survey were quite startling, with a third people citing concern about how they will spend their days in retirement. A large volume of our respondents identified the need to reassess their options, stating that they want to ensure they have enough hobbies and activities to fill their time before they retire and to avoid isolation.

One of the core areas that we focus on with our course participants is the importance of planning to adequately prepare for this stage in life.”

In contrast, the 66% of respondents who stated that they are not worried about how they will spend their time in retirement had a more positive outlook for this stage in their life. This ranged from being excited for the opportunities and benefits of retirement, plans to explore new hobbies and spending time with loved ones.

The survey was carried out online in November 2022 with over 170 responses. The majority of respondents (57%) were under the age of 64.