Norway sees rise in women opting for early retirement

Data from Statistics Norway (SSB) indicates an increase in women opting for early retirement at age 62. The proportion of 62-year-old women receiving old-age pensions rose from 11.4 percent in 2024 to 15.4 percent in 2025.

This trend follows the 2025 reform of the public sector Agreement Pension (AFP), which transitioned into a lifelong supplement that can be combined with both old-age pensions and earned income. Previously, public sector AFP functioned as an early retirement scheme with strict rules regarding income offsets.

While the number of women retiring early is increasing, men still utilize early retirement at higher rates. Among those aged 62–66, 35.2 percent of men receive old-age pensions compared to 17.8 percent of women. A significant portion of early retirees continue to work; 67.9 percent of women and 72.2 percent of men in the 62–66 age bracket maintained some employment alongside their pensions in 2025.