74.7% of Older Adults Provide Their Own Living Expenses: Does This Mean Later Life Has Become More Comfortable?

It cannot be concluded that later life has become more comfortable simply because more older adults are funding their own or their spouse's living expenses. According to data from 2025 published in the National Data Agency's 2026 Statistics on the Aged, this proportion stood at 74.7%, but this figure only indicates the primary funding source for living expenses and does not directly measure whether the necessary amount of funds is sufficient. When examining retirement income structures ahead of the year-end, one must distinguish who provides the funds, what types of income are used, and how sustainable those incomes are. The Share of Outlays Differs from the Number of People Out of Ten The detailed table on methods of providing living expenses released by the National Data Agency on October 1 targets the population aged 65 and older. For 2025, self- or spouse-funding is presented at 74.7…