The five key findings of the study:
• The French are becoming aware of the ongoing demographic shift, but regret that population aging is not sufficiently addressed in public debate.
• They recognize that our healthcare system is under strain and that they will have to pay out of pocket—even if they cannot necessarily afford to do so—and that care for their long-term needs is not guaranteed.
• Despite some awareness of the deficits and the need for pension system reforms, they continue to aspire to retire, on average, five years earlier than the legal retirement age.
• Funding the costs of an aging population calls into question the social contract between generations, with greater anticipation of tensions than of solidarity across age groups and a need to share the burden.
• The majority of our fellow citizens are open to the idea of working beyond the legal retirement age, provided they gain greater flexibility and retirees are asked to contribute more.
