The reforms that have been implemented in France since the 1970s have greatly increased the options for retiring early with a full‑rate pension, the idea being that this would benefit those individuals presumed to have the shortest life expectancies. These options were initially aimed at individuals who had been declared unfit for work, but they are now largely based on having worked a full career, with this criterion intended to benefit persons who started working at a younger age, who are presumed to be in poorer health. However, although the life expectancy at 60 years of age of this latter group is indeed lower, this trend is only observed for those who started their careers before the age of 20 for men and 18 for women. In practice, no positive relationship can be observed between life expectancy at 60 years of age and the age at which a person is entitled to retire with a full‑rate pension. Among women, the relationship even appears to be negative.

Aubert, P. (2025). Allowing People with Lower Life Expectancies to Retire Earlier: What Are the Outcomes of the Reforms Implemented in France Since 1970? Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, 546, 39–57. doi: 10.24187/ecostat.2025.546.2132