Women Better Prepared For Retirement, But Concerned About Loneliness: IRIS Study

Indian women are increasingly getting better prepared for retirement, revealed the Retirement Index Study (IRIS 5.0) conducted by Axis Max Life Insurance in collaboration with Kantar Insights. This study assesses the retirement readiness of urban Indians across 28 cities, spanning metro, Tier I, and Tier II locations, based on three key dimensions: Financial, Health, and Emotional Preparedness.

On the scale of 0 to 100, the women scored 49 out of 100, outpacing men by one point (men scored 48) and the overall national score of 48. Retirement awareness is increasing among women, as evidenced by the score that has increased from 44 in 2022 to 49 in 2025.

Women, particularly working women, show higher health preparedness and financial confidence than their men, but the emotional parameter remains unsteady, with more women feeling concerned about loneliness compared to men.  

Emotional Preparedness And Loneliness

The score on the Emotional Preparedness Index for women has declined from 60 to 58 from 2022 to 2025.

Per the study, the fear of loneliness has increased from 69 per cent to 74 per cent between 2022 and 2025, while the all-India level remains at the same level. Around 71 per cent of Indians feel they will lack social support during their retirement years. This shows emotional sensitivity among women, which is giving rise to the fear of loneliness.

Health Preparedness Index

However, the Overall Health Preparedness Index score for women improved from 40 in 2022 to 47 in 2025, whereas the national score in 2025 stood a tad lower at 46. The report shows that more women now undergo regular or occasional health check-ups and engage in workouts. The health check-up percentage improved from 57 per cent in 2022 to 60 per cent in 2025, against the 55 per cent national average in 2025.

Due to the rising awareness around health and well-being and engaging in physical exercise, more women feel confident about staying healthy during their retirement years. Around 82 per cent of women in 2025 feel confident of staying fit and healthy in their golden years compared to 79 per cent in 2022. At the same time, the health insurance adoption has also increased from 42 per cent in 2022 to 48 per cent in 2025.

Financial Preparedness Index

On the financial preparedness front, around 39 per cent of women feel confident that their retirement corpus will last more than a decade after retirement, and 65 per cent feel that their current investment will be sufficient for a secure retirement life.

Amid the changing societal structure, the report shows that around 73 per cent of people feel worried about depending on their children financially. 79 per cent of urban Indians, including women, feel concerned about changing environmental conditions, such as rising pollution, in their retirement years.