Life expectancy forecast for 65-year-olds trimmed to 21.08 years

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) expects the life expectancy of 65-year-olds in 2032 to be 21.08 years, slightly lower than the 21.14 years it forecast in 2025. In practice, someone aged 65 in 2032 can expect to live about 21 more years.

The forecast is used to set the future state pension age (AOW-leeftijd) under Article 7a of the Algemene Ouderdomswet, the state pension act. The age is 67 for 2024 to 2027 and 67 years and 3 months for 2028 to 2031. The minister of Social Affairs and Employment will set the age for 2032 on the basis of the forecast.

Life expectancy has been rising again since 2022 after a temporary fall during the coronavirus pandemic, CBS says, but more slowly than expected. That is why the forecast was revised down. CBS calls the forecast the most likely outcome and also calculates uncertainty ranges around it.

Life expectancy at 65 fell in the pandemic and is back to 20.05 years

Years · 2011–2025

Life expectancy at 65 fell in the pandemic and is back to 20.05 years (years). From 19.51 in 2011 to 20.05 in 2025; highest 20.1 in 2019, lowest 19.46 in 2012. Source: CBS.

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Data: Life expectancy at 65 fell in the pandemic and is back to 20.05 years

Period	Years
2011	19.51
2012	19.46
2013	19.61
2014	19.92
2015	19.67
2016	19.77
2017	19.89
2018	19.89
2019	20.1
2020	19.46
2021	19.5
2022	19.72
2023	19.88
2024	19.95
2025	20.05

Between 1950 and 2019, life expectancy at 65 rose from 14.3 to 20.1 years. The coronavirus pandemic pushed it down to 19.5 years in both 2020 and 2021. It recovered to 19.7 in 2022 and reached 20.1 in 2025.

Women still live longer than men. In 2025 the gap at age 65 was 1.9 years. Men are back at their 2019 level; women are not yet.

The forecast is part of the CBS population forecast for 2026 to 2070, which will be published on 16 December.