HSBC’s Future of Retirement research shows that across the world, people perceive retirement positively and aspire to make the most of it. Active ageing is a now-familiar concept in Singapore given the heavy emphasis by the government in this area.
 
“Retirement is a time for rest & relaxation”
Relatively more Singaporeans believe retirement is a time to rest and relax but this is changing fast.
“On retirement, there will be more time for travelling”
A large proportion of Singaporeans, like their global peers, think travel will be an important activity during their retirement
Whilst many Singaporeans continue to associate retirement with rest and relaxation, there appears to be a fast moving trend towards a more active and contributory retirement. For example, 78% of respondents wanted to take up new hobbies and 74% thought of doing voluntary unpaid work during retirement. People surveyed from developed countries in Europe and North America felt that retirement is an opportunity for a new chapter in life - the 'Third Age'. The idea of retirement as a "golden age" is fast becoming generally outmoded.