For Swiss, “old age” begins at 71, and only 1 in 3 are looking forward to it

The survey, carried out between January 24 and February 7, 2025 gathered responses from a representative sample of 500 individuals across Switzerland, ensuring a 95% confidence interval in the findings.

Key Findings:

• Most countries including Switzerland overestimate the size of the ageing population v.s. the demographic facts. Switzerland shows the greatest discrepancy in its population estimates: Over 65 years old: perception 26% vs demographic reality 20% Over 75 years old: perception 18% vs reality 10% Below 18 years old: perception 23% vs reality 19%
• Europe is ageing and when you are considered old has slightly shifted. On average across 32 countries including Switzerland, people say that “old age” begins at 66. The European outlook tends to be more optimistic with views on “old age” beginning at 69 for Germans, 71 for Swiss, 72 for French and 73 for Italians.
• Swiss expect to enjoy 11 years of “old age”. Swiss expect to live on average up to 82 years old, while they consider ‘old age’ to start at 71.
• Most people are not looking forward to their “old age” Across 32 countries, 57% say they are not looking forward to their old age (vs. 38% who say they are). Switzerland aligns with the global view: 64% who are not looking forward to old age (vs. 32%say they are) After France shows strong negativity: 88% who are not looking forward to old age (vs. 10% say they are).

“While life expectancy is rising and life stages are shifting upwards, societal perceptions about the timing for these transitions are lagging, particularly as retirement ages across Europe are increasing. People are not looking forward to old age due to concerns about financial security, health challenges and the potential for prolonged work life. Adapting policies and societal attitudes to these shifts is crucial to address these concerns.” Marcus Burke, ESG & Client Service Director, Ipsos Switzerland Public Affairs. 

• Technical note:
  • Ipsos interviewed 23,745 people online between January 24 and February 7, 2025 in 32 countries. Quotas were set to ensure representativeness and data have been weighted to the known population profile of each country. The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals each in in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and Türkiye. The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.