Retirement preparations among migrants

In light of population aging and the increasing ethnic diversity of the older population within Europe, improving our understanding of retirement preparation of migrants has been indicated as one of the main “pressing issues for the coming decade”. Given that in many pension systems there is a close connection between residence, earnings over the life course and retirement entitlements, migration history can be expected to affect migrants’ retirement preparation. Also, cultural socialization in the origin country may play a role: migrants might vary from the native population in their knowledge and attitudes about the role that the government, family, and individual play for ensuring a decent standard of living for the old. Yet, very little is known about retirement preparation among migrants. How do individuals from various migrant groups differ from the native population across European countries in their preparation for retirement, and how can these differences be explained?

Psychologists, sociologists, and economists generally focus on distinct aspects of the retirement preparation process in their studies.⁴To achieve a comprehensive understanding of retirement preparation, this project will therefore take an interdisciplinary approach. Migrants can be expected to differ from the native population in terms of psychological factors (e.g., perceived knowledge about pension rights), sociological factors (e.g., attitudes toward pension institutions), and economic factors (e.g., pension entitlements). Consequently, they can be expected to differ from natives in their plans for retirement (e.g., in terms of retirement timing and financial support by family members).