Switzerland home to Europe's happiest retirees, survey finds

Switzerland is home to the happiest retirees in Europe, a new survey from YouGov has revealed. Pensioners in the alpine nation were most happy with their leisure activities and social connections.

Swiss pensioners the most satisfied in Europe

According to the survey, revealed by YouGov on behalf of insurer Swiss Life, 80% of people between the ages of 65 and 80 living in Switzerland are very satisfied with their lives. This puts the alpine nation top of the list in Europe, when the results are compared with the latest Eurostat data.

In findings given to Watson, a majority of the elderly gave a positive assessment of their leisure activities, friendship groups, health, mobility and ability to travel. Generally speaking, those with the highest pensions were most likely to be happy, while unhappiness was most prominent among those with declining health.

Elderly couples more happy than singles

Interestingly, there was no difference in satisfaction between elderly men and women, or those with or without children. The only major difference was found between couples and single people, with the former reporting to be happier. The most common activities the elderly do are reading, watching television and doing household chores.

In addition, 60% of elderly people in Switzerland have grandchildren. In a sign that the cost of childcare services remains a heavy burden for most families, nearly two-thirds of grandparents said they babysat their grandchildren at least once a month.

Many retirees in Switzerland still face challenges

While overall satisfaction may be high, there are areas where the elderly population are struggling. Just under a third of 65 to 74-year-olds reported feeling lonely at times, while a 2023 study from the Federal Statistical Office noted that pensioners are some of the most at risk of poverty, especially those who rely on first pillar pensions as their main source of income.

This is reflected in the data. In 2023, 15,2% of those over 65 years were at or below the poverty line, far above the national average of 8,1%.