10 Most Popular Places to Retire in Europe

With these 10 most popular places to retire in Europe, it is easy to plan well ahead and choose the perfect destination.

Europe’s rich culture and history, beautiful cities and pleasant locals (at least in most of the countries) have always attracted people from all corners of the world. Young people from the US like to embark on journeys around Europe, exploring it and finding it more open minded than their home countries. One more reason why people love to travel to Europe could be affordable prices in some of the countries. If that is your main criteria for searching a place to retire, be sure to check these 10 cheapest places to retire abroad.

When choosing a place to retire, you should consider many things, such as health care, security, prices, language, commodity, etc. Also, if you are retiring somewhere, it is better to choose a country that can offer a lot of things to do and see. Museums, historical monuments, theaters and cultural events should be one of the guiding points.

People from the United States tend, more than others, to retire abroad and experience something new. Because of that, we based our search for the most popular places to retire in Europe on popularity among Americans. Bloomberg made a report about American’s retiring preferences basing it on the number of social security payments in February, 2015. From that report, we took 10 European countries that had most social security payments and compiled our list.

10. Switzerland

Number of social security payments: 8,000

Switzerland is among the top countries when it comes to quality of life, with Zürich and Geneva being among the top in the world when it comes to cities. Hence, who wouldn’t want to retire there?

9. Ireland

Number of social security payments: 10,000

A common misconception about Ireland is that you don’t have anything to do there except to drink. Although drinking is surely a big part of Ireland’s cultural life (which doesn’t have to be a bad thing), this beautiful country offers a lot more to those who are willing to dig deeper.

8. Spain

Number of social security payments: 11,000

If you like soccer, then have no second thoughts, move to Spain. Soccer plays an important role in the lives of Spaniards, but they have other great things to boast about. Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, thanks to its moderate climate, summer resorts, beaches, and extraordinary cultural and social life. In Barcelona solely, you can live a few years and won’t find out a half of things that this amazing city offers.

7. Portugal

Number of social security payments: 12,000

The standard of life in Portugal is very high, higher than in Spain, but with almost similar touristic benefits. One interesting fact about Portugal is that it is the first country in the world to decriminalize usage of all drugs. Maybe this is why Portugal is so popular. Although you can “safely” use drugs here, you can’t legally sell them.

6. France

Number of social security payments: 15,000

This breathtaking country is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, so it isn’t a surprise that some people would like to retire here. France is also one of the wealthiest countries in the world, offering high standards in almost every aspect of life. One hint: Think about skipping Paris. We heard it is crowded with tourists, and that the locals are not friendly.

5. Greece

 Number of social security payments: 23,000

Greece’s ranking so high among 10 most popular places to retire in Europe is surely a surprise, considering the country’s recent recession and instability. On the other hand, if this isn’t a major concern to you, then Greece is one of the best places to live in the world. You will walk on the same ground on which some of the greatest minds in history walked a long, long time ago.

4. Poland

 Number of social security payments: 25,000

Poland is one the countries with the fastest growing economies in the world. The quality of life and standard of living are also more than satisfying, which explains its popularity among the retirees.

3. Italy

Number of social security payments: 30,000

Ah, Italy! Country of Renaissance, pasta, pizza and good wine. If you need more, just have in mind that Italy is home to many World Heritage Sites. Except that, everything you see in Italy has a unique story and important cultural significance.

2. The United Kingdom

Number of social security payments: 35,000

Retiring in English speaking country sure has its benefits, and you have four countries to choose from: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means that the United Kingdom most probably fulfills your criteria for retiring country, in at least one of the regions. If you want to be in the music center of the world, there is no better place than the United Kingdom. Besides that, there is always soccer madness if you are into that.

1. Germany

Number of social security payments: 40,000

And, finally, the most popular place to retire in Europe is Germany. Despite its dark WWII history, Germany has bounced back stronger than ever and now represents one of the most desirable countries to live in. Yes, beer is one of the reasons. Other reasons are rich culture, fine cuisine, architecture and being a center of almost all major happenings in Europe.