In January 2023 we commissioned YouGov to ask some key questions about how people in their mid-life – those aged between 40 and 60 – in the UK are preparing for later life (70+).
More than 4,500 people were asked some key questions with more than 1,500 people between 40 and 60 years-old responding. Here’s what we found out about that group:
- More than half (54%) think that later life is a time to be afraid and just over a third (38%) think that it is a time to look forward to
- Almost nine in 10 people (86%) think that it’s important to prepare for later life
- 92% of people think that financial preparation is important, 85% think that physical preparation is important, and 78% think that emotional, mental, and spiritual preparation is important
- Just under a quarter of people (24%) haven’t done anything to prepare for later life
- A third of people (33%) had written a will and just over a quarter of people (26%) had talked about death or end of life with loved ones
- Only 2% of people had talked with a counsellor or mentor about getting older and just over one in 10 (11%) had made peace with themselves and others
- More than half of people (60%) are looking forward to rest and relaxation in later life, with 48% of people looking forward to taking more holidays
- A fifth of people (20%) are planning to volunteer in their later life and 19% looking forward to developing new skills
- Declining physical and mental health is a major worry with almost three quarters of people (71%) being worried about physical/mental health decline and 62% being worried about developing dementia
- Almost half (47%) are worried about being a burden on their friends and family and 43% are worried about being lonely
This research suggests that for many later life is expected to be a season of decline and worry even as they anticipate more downtime and rest.
At Pilgrims’ Friend Society we’re passionate about people in later life leading full and fulfilling lives and it’s our hope that we can help younger people in mid-life get ready for a great older age.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4645 adults, of which 1566 were aged 40-60. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th-17th January 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+) Full results can be found here.
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