Eläkeiät

Eläkeiät refers to the official age at which an individual becomes eligible to receive pension benefits under a given pension system. It is a central fixture of retirement policy and can be a fixed calendar age or a variable target tied to factors such as life expectancy, contribution history, or actuarial calculations. Many systems also allow earlier retirement with reduced benefits or later retirement with higher accrued benefits.

In Finland, the concept is central to both the national pension (kansaneläke) and earnings-related pensions (työeläkkeet). The old-age retirement age has become more flexible and increasingly linked to life expectancy, and retirement can be taken earlier with reductions or postponed for larger benefits. The design aims to balance incentives to work longer with social protection and affordability.

Internationally, eläkeiät vary considerably. Some countries set fixed retirement ages, commonly ranging from 60 to 67, while others link eligibility to life expectancy or to a combination of age and contribution years. Over recent decades, many governments have pursued reforms to raise the standard retirement age and to encourage longer working lives as populations age.

The concept affects labor markets, pension adequacy, and public finances. Debates often address fairness between generations, the health and employability of older workers, and the appropriate balance between encouraging continued work and ensuring adequate retirement income.