Retirement Differences Between Men and Women

An Overview of Gender Disparities in Retirement Planning

Men and women in Ireland tend to approach retirement differently, and Standard Life’s latest research, Bringing Retirement into Focus, sets out where those differences sit today. It looks at readiness across three areas: financial, social and mindset. Taken together, they paint a more layered picture than the old idea of a straightforward gender gap. The gap in financial readiness has been slow to shift. In social and mindset readiness, though, women are catching up, and once they reach retirement they often pull ahead.

Here is a snapshot of how the two compare across the main readiness indicators, with last year’s figures for context:

The biggest change over the past year has come from women. Financial readiness has picked up from 23% to 25%, and social readiness among working women has climbed from 37% to 43%, closing what used to be a wide gap with men to just two points. Part of that story is women gaining ground. The other part, which the research is candid about, is men’s confidence slipping. Both threads run right through the report.

Financial readiness: a gap shaped by pressure, not apathy

The gender gap in financial readiness has been remarkably stubborn since 2022. Men have largely held steady, easing from 39% to 36% over the period. Women have had a bumpier ride, dropping from 28% in 2022 to 23% in both 2023 and 2024, then recovering a little to 25% this year. The improvement is real, but the gap has not closed.

The reason has less to do with attitude than with everyday financial pressure. Women are less likely to feel good about their finances and more likely to feel anxious about them, and that pressure tends to show up more often and bite harder. It also shapes what they prioritise. Women are more likely to be focused on the here and now, whether that is the cost of living, children’s education or the mortgage. Men are more likely to have one eye on the long game, particularly building up their pension. Standard Life puts this down to financial bandwidth rather than any difference in intent. For a lot of women, short-term stability has to come first before longer-term planning feels realistic.

You see the same divide in how confident people feel about their pension. On making the most of it, men have drifted down from 56% in 2022 to 49% this year, while women have sat a little lower but steadier, at around 45%. On knowing how much they will actually need, men still feel more sure than women, but the gap is narrowing from the top. Men have slipped from 40% to 37%, women from 33% to 29%. In other words, the two are converging because men have lost ground, not because women have gained it.

That loss of confidence among men has a knock-on effect. The share worried they will not be able to retire at all has crept up from 33% in 2022 and 2023 to 37% this year. Among women, that worry has stayed high the whole time, hovering around 40%.

Social readiness: women pull level before retirement and move ahead in it

Social readiness is where the most heartening shift for women shows up. In the run-up to retirement, women have traditionally been the more likely of the two to feel socially unprepared, and that is still true on the headline number. This year 34% of working women said they felt socially unprepared, against 27% of men. But the trend has turned. Among working adults, women’s social readiness has risen from 39% in 2023 to 43% now, while men’s has edged down from 48% to 45%. A nine-point gap has shrunk to two.

Once people actually retire, the picture flips. Among retirees, women report stronger social readiness than men, and the lead has been widening. In 2023 it was 65% of women to 62% of men. By 2025 it had opened up to 69% against 62%.

The focus groups offer a clue as to why. Women tend to keep broader social networks going, while some men lean more heavily on work, or on their partner, for structure and company. The kind of activity differs too. CSO figures on volunteering back this up, with women more likely to be involved in community and charitable work. Among women who volunteer, 29% do so in their community and 28% in social or charitable activities, compared with 24% and 18% among men. The upshot is that the social side of retirement tends to come into focus earlier for women, largely a matter of timing and habit.

Mindset readiness: men are often the more uncertain before they stop working

Before retirement, men and women look forward to it in fairly similar numbers, both sitting in the low-to-mid forties over the last few years. Women were slightly ahead in 2023 and 2024 before men nudged in front this year. What sets them apart is that men are also more likely to call the idea of retirement unappealing, which points to a more mixed relationship with it.

That shows up even more clearly in how retirement is actually lived. Women are more likely to say they are enjoying it. In 2024, 88% of retired women reported being happy with life in retirement, next to 80% of men. This year the split held at 88% to 81%.

The focus groups suggest a reason. Many women are already used to reduced hours or a looser tie to full-time work, so easing into retirement can feel more familiar. For a lot of men, stepping away from a structured working week is more of a jolt, taking with it a chunk of routine and identity. Several men talked about wanting to bring some of that structure back rather than stop altogether, whether through part-time work or picking up something new to learn. The practical takeaway is that men often need as much thought given to the social and mindset side of retirement as to the money.

Regional Spotlight: Munster

Retirement planning carries real weight in Munster, and this year’s figures show a region feeling the squeeze rather than one that has taken its eye off the ball. Financial readiness sits at 28%, level with the lowest in the country, and 47% of adults point to the rising cost of living as a top priority, the highest of any region. Even so, pension focus has been climbing, from 13% in 2023 to 16% this year. On outlook, 41% of people in Munster say they look forward to retirement, a touch below the national figure, while mindset readiness holds up better at 51%. In a region carrying this much cost pressure, the gender pattern matters locally too. The women most likely to be absorbing day-to-day household costs are often the same ones for whom stability has to come before longer-term planning feels within reach.

Closing the confidence gap through advice

One of the clearest findings is how much regular advice moves the needle, particularly on the measures where the gender gap is widest. People who see an adviser regularly are far more likely to know how much they will need, at 51% against 33% of adults overall, and far more likely to feel good about their financial position, at 58% against 34%. Standard Life reckons the overall effect roughly doubles the odds of feeling positive about your finances and confident in your pension.

That matters most for whoever is carrying the most uncertainty. Since women are more likely to feel anxious about money and less likely to feel clear on what they will need, they often have the most to gain from advice that is regular and easy to access. The trick is turning belief into action by making that access simpler, taking the awkwardness out of money conversations, and dealing with the emotional hurdles that still stop plenty of people from asking for help.

Role of Riordan Financial

Here is how we help our clients, and how we could help you:

• Building pension confidence. We explain how pensions actually work, from tax relief and employer contributions to what your retirement income might look like, in plain terms and with regular updates as things change.
• Taking the awkwardness out of money conversations. We keep things relaxed and questions welcome. A good conversation goes a long way towards showing that solid planning is within reach for anyone.
• Planning for the whole of retirement. Because readiness is about more than money, we help you think ahead to how you will keep structure, connection and a sense of purpose once work winds down.

Whatever stage you are at, we are here to help you build a confident, well-rounded retirement plan. Get in touch for advice tailored to your own situation.

Riordan Financial Brokers Ltd trading as Riordan Financial (C30375) is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.