Few people anticipate the risk of loneliness when retiring abroad. Understandably, older Americans planning a happy retirement in idyllic locations abroad focus more on visas and finding housing than finding friends.
Retirement abroad has grown in popularity. In 2024, more than 760,000 Social Security beneficiaries received their retirement benefits while residing outside the United States, a sharp increase from the 431,000 recipients who received benefits abroad in 2019.
A strong U.S. dollar, affordable cost of living, relaxed residency requirements, cheaper access to healthcare services, and pleasant weather are all among the factors driving retirees out of the U.S. to destinations in Europe, Central America, and other exotic locales.
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Unfortunately, while living outside the U.S. has its perks, a new peer-reviewed study published in Psychology and Aging, a journal of the American Psychological Association, reveals that retirees who move abroad face an increased risk of loneliness compared to those who retire in their home country.
Loneliness can have consequences for both health and longevity, but there are ways to find friends, community and fulfillment in a new country as a retiree.
Retirees abroad face double jeopardy for loneliness
The new study was conducted among 4,995 Dutch retirees who had moved to a foreign country after age 50 and were 65 and over. It compared their loneliness levels to those of 1,338 Dutch retirees still residing in the Netherlands.
Researchers measured levels of emotional loneliness, which "stems from the absence of an intimate figure, such as a partner or a best friend," and social loneliness, which "stems from the absence of a broader group of contacts and a sense of community."
To assess levels of both types of loneliness, the study asked retirees whether they experienced a general sense of emptiness, missed having people around them, often felt rejected, had people they could rely on when they had problems, had enough people they felt close to, and had many people they could trust completely.
The research revealed that while most migrants did not experience significantly higher levels of emotional loneliness, mainly because many relocated with a spouse or partner, they did experience higher levels of social loneliness. However, those who had lost contact with people back home were found to have higher levels of both types of loneliness.
Researchers accounted for other factors that could contribute to loneliness, such as health or having children, to isolate for the impact of migration. They indicated this was the "first [study] to establish that retirement migrants experience higher levels of social loneliness than nonmigrants." They commented that "older migrants face double jeopardy as they are vulnerable to both age-related and migration-related risk factors of loneliness."
Loneliness can affect your health and well-being
Those considering retiring abroad should take this increased loneliness risk seriously, as feelings of loneliness can be detrimental to your health.
In a 2023 report on the Epidemic of Loneliness, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy wrote that "loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling — it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity."
A 2022 study published in the Journal of Aging and Health also revealed that "social isolation (limited and moderate social network) along with severe loneliness remained significantly associated with mortality." Both severe and moderate loneliness were found to be associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, with those who have limited social networks demonstrating twice the risk of death.
These impacts have knock-on economic effects that can be measured, showing the societal cost of loneliness in retirement.
How to lower your loneliness risk when you retire abroad
The good news is that there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of loneliness while retiring abroad.
Maintaining contact with friends and family in your country of origin should be a primary goal, as the study found those who had lost contact with good friends or children left behind in their home country experienced higher degrees of emotional and social loneliness.
Having regular contact with local neighbors and becoming a member of the community in your new location was also found to reduce the risks of both loneliness types, as did establishing close friendships locally and learning the local language.
With technologies like Zoom and Facetime making it easier than ever to stay connected, those who make a plan and who are committed to maintaining existing relationships and forming new ones may be able to avoid the loneliness that can be so detrimental to their health.
Still, the data suggests it will take a consistent and conscious effort to ensure retiring abroad doesn't put your health and happiness in jeopardy.
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