Study: Retirement Does Not Make Australians Lonelier

Melbourne (ANTARA) — Retirement does not make older Australians lonelier, with a new study finding no significant difference in loneliness before and after they leave the workforce.

A team led by Monash University in Australia tracked 7,434 Australians aged 55 to 75 for nearly two decades, using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The study challenges the assumption that retirement causes social isolation, according to a university statement released on Monday.

The researchers monitored the same Australians for nearly two decades and found that their levels of loneliness did not change during the three years before or after retirement.

The study found that around 17.5 per cent of older adults reported high levels of loneliness. The findings were consistent across demographic and socioeconomic groups, including people with different income and wealth levels and occupational backgrounds.

Loneliness tended to increase steadily from the late 60s, suggesting that ageing, rather than leaving the workforce, is associated with rising loneliness, the researchers said. They added that efforts to address loneliness should focus on social connections throughout later life, including support for people experiencing major life events such as the loss of a partner.