Switzerland is home to the happiest retirees in Europe, with around 80% of people aged 65 to 80 reporting high levels of life satisfaction, according to a recent YouGov survey commissioned

by Swiss Life insurance.

The study, based on responses from 2,063 individuals, found that Swiss seniors feel positively about their leisure time, social lives, health, mobility, and opportunities to travel.

Wealth, health, and wellbeing

Overall, retirees with higher incomes reported greater satisfaction than those with lower incomes. Similarly, people in poor health tended to express lower overall happiness.

Interestingly, the survey showed no significant differences in life satisfaction between men and women, those with or without children or grandchildren. However, being in a relationship did make a difference—couples were generally happier than singles.

Swiss Life noted that no other European country has such a high proportion of retirees who describe themselves as “very happy,” referencing data from Eurostat. Across all age groups, Swiss residents tend to report higher happiness levels compared to their European peers.

A trend across Northern Europe

Retirees in Scandinavia, Austria, Ireland, and Malta also tend to be more content than younger people in those countries, continuing a broader trend seen in wealthier nations.

Staying active and connected

Fewer than one in three Swiss retirees aged 65 to 74 say they feel lonely even occasionally. About 60% of those aged 65 to 80 have grandchildren, and nearly two-thirds care for them at least once a month.

Many retirees maintain active daily routines:

- 77% read regularly

- 76% watch television

- 59% do housework

Women were more likely to handle household chores (74%) than men (42%). Photo by Deali00, Wikimedia commons.

In the digital sphere, around 30% of older adults use platforms like Facebook or Instagram daily. However, a larger share—39%—don’t use social media at all.