Homewise survey finds quarter of over-60s are unhappy with their lack of a sex life

July 27, 2016

Survey found the problem was more common than losing a partner
It also found a worrying 10 per cent of retirees feel dissatisfied with lives
The study asked people to select reasons for their unhappiness from a list

Sophia Bashir For The Daily Mail

Published:
19:51 EST, 26 July 2016

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Updated:
03:54 EST, 27 July 2016

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A lacklustre sex life is one of the top causes of unhappiness for Britain’s over-sixties, according to new research.

The survey by financial planners Homewise found the problem was more common than losing a partner.

It also found a worrying 10 per cent of retirees feel dissatisfied with their lives over all.

The survey asked participants to select reasons for their unhappiness from a list of common problems.

The survey by financial planners Homewise found the problem was more common than losing a partner

Financial issues were found to be the leading grievance, with 36 per cent of participants saying they did not feel ‘well off’ or have ‘enough money’.

This mirrored findings of a 2014 Aviva study, which found financial concerns to be the greatest cause of anxiety for all age groups.

Loneliness came a close second, with a third saying they felt isolated without family living nearby.

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Not being able to go on holiday also scored similarly in terms of causing unhappiness.

But sex, or more a lack of it, was found to cause distress to more than one in four.

This is much higher than sadness caused by being widowed or loss of mobility, which affected only 12 per cent of the participants in this study.

These results provide direct contradiction to the belief that sex stops being important after a certain age. ‘

The survey asked participants to select reasons for their unhappiness from a list of common problems

As people live longer, they want to be more active in later years which includes continuing on with their sex lives, buying their perfect homes, going on holiday,’ said Mark Neal, managing director of Homewise.

He added: ‘Retirement is no longer seen as a final dwindling countdown in life but a bright new chapter’.

Despite this, almost 70 per cent of the over-60s surveyed said they were satisfied with their lives overall.

‘Family and where you live appear to be the main reasons for living a happy life in retirement and it is interesting that it is not necessarily all about money when it comes to happiness’ said Mr Neal.