The graphs below show the average retirement age for men and women in 2004 and 2008 in six different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

-[Harpreet Singh Dhillon]

The given column graphs compare the retirement age of males and females in six countries

in 2004 and 2008. Overall, the retirement age increased in all countries with the exception of

Italy, among men, and France, among women, where it remained the same in the given

years.

The Danish men and women retired at the ages of 60 and 59 respectively in 2004, but in 2008

they both retired at the age of 61. The average age of retirement for both genders was the

lowest in France, with the men retiring at the age of 58 in 2004 and at 59 in 2008. Women

retired at the age of 58 in both the given years. The Italian men retired at 60 years in 2004 as

well as 2008, whereas women retired at a younger age in both the years as compared to men.

The age of retirement for women was 58 in 2004 and 59 in 2008. A similar trend in retirement

ages was seen among the Dutch, Swede and British males and females with the increase of

one year in each case in 2008 as compared to 2004.

To conclude, a striking feature of the graph is that the retirement age for both sexes was the

highest in Sweden in comparison with all other given countries.