We asked Australians approaching retirement to rank what matters most to them, and the results revealed some intriguing differences between men and women — as well as across different regions.  

For Australians aged 55 and over, the top retirement priorities are clear: staying healthy, keeping financially secure, and spending time with family and friends. Men and women ranked these in the same order, showing how central health, stability, and connection are in later life.

There are some notable differences when it comes to gender. Women, for example, placed more importance on staying in their own home and avoiding a nursing facility, ranking it fourth, while men ranked it much lower at seventh. This could reflect the fact that women are often more involved in caregiving and may place greater value on familiar routines and surroundings than men do.

Across the country, ‘not being an emotional or financial burden on family members’ came in fourth, showing just how much Australians value staying independent. Right alongside this, ‘having access to quality care that I can control’ ranked sixth. In other words, planning for support—whether at home or through other services—can help people stay independent, avoid placing extra pressure on their loved ones, and ensure these priorities are maintained throughout later life.

Other goals, such as travel, hobbies, or leaving a legacy, appeared further down the list. Men were more likely to rank travel higher (sixth) compared with women (eighth). 

Overall, as Australians approach later life, the focus tends to shift away from leisure and toward the foundations —health, security, and independence — that provide peace of mind.

Regional differences highlight some interesting variations in retirement priorities across Australia’s major cities. While maintaining health, staying financially secure, and spending time with family remain the top priorities nationally, some local differences stand out. 

For example, Queensland residents placed slightly more emphasis on not being a burden to family, South Australians valued travel more, and New South Wales residents, particularly in Greater Sydney, ranked access to quality care higher than other regions.

 In Greater Melbourne, as well as Greater Brisbane and Greater Perth, family, health, and financial security also dominated, reflecting the broader national trends.

The biggest retirement worries for Australians in 2025

Declining physical health emerged as the top worry for older Australians, with just over seven in ten (70.4)% saying it was a concern. 

This was felt slightly more strongly among women than men (73% vs 68%). Closely following were fears around losing independence (58%) and experiencing a decline in mental health or cognition (56%), again with women reporting higher levels of concern. These findings highlight that health and autonomy remain front of mind as people age.

Staying in their own home was another key priority, with almost half of over-55s (47%) worried about not being able to do so, and again, women were more likely to feel this than men (53% vs 41%). Similarly 39% are worried about being left in a nursing home or worried about where they’ll be living (28.7%). 

Financial concerns, such as insufficient savings or unexpected costs, remained essential to many Australians (around 44–45% of those surveyed), but ranked below health and independence. This suggests that money is often seen as a means to maintain security and autonomy rather than an end goal in itself.

While fewer people expressed these concerns, almost one in five to nearly a third of respondents still worried about emotional and social issues, such as feeling lonely, losing a sense of purpose, or being overlooked because of age, these concerns show that staying connected, valued, and purposeful remains an integral part of ageing well, alongside maintaining health, independence, and financial security.

Worries around retirement and ageing vary somewhat across Australia. South Australians are consistently more concerned, particularly about declining physical and mental health, losing independence, and losing a partner. At the same time, Queenslanders show heightened concern about financial and unexpected aged care costs. Victorians and Western Australians tend to worry slightly less overall, though concerns about mental health and staying in their own home remain common across all states.

Looking specifically at major cities, respondents in Greater Adelaide and Greater Brisbane mirror their state trends, while those in Greater Sydney place more emphasis on financial and unexpected aged care costs. In Greater Melbourne and Greater Perth, health, family, and maintaining independence dominate, reflecting national priorities.

 Overall, Australians select an average of six to seven worries, highlighting that health, independence, and financial security weigh heavily no matter where they live.