Insee Première · January 2022 · n° 1891

One in eight retirements results in a change of residence

In France, of those who retire each year, 12% seize the opportunity to move upon retirement, one year earlier or one year later. These newly retired tend to leave the hub of the largest urban areas to live in smaller towns, located on the coast or in the Massif Central.

Single people and single-parent families are the most mobile. Couples move less frequently and over longer periods, in line with the retirement date of each spouse.

Younger retirees living in apartments tend to move more frequently, often to houses. This is particularly true of retirees moving from the Île-de-France region to the provinces: wealthier, they move to larger homes, often to houses that they already own or become owners of.

People moving in the Île-de-France region are more likely to be in a couple, with children still in their care, and have rather modest incomes. They often move to smaller homes, anticipating the departure of their children.