Policy Press

Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life

By Marion Repetti and Toni Calasanti

Published

Jan 1, 2025

Page count

160 pages

Browse the series

Ageing in a Global Context

ISBN

978-1447358220

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jul 19, 2023

Page count

160 pages

Browse the series

Ageing in a Global Context

ISBN

978-1447358213

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jul 19, 2023

Page count

160 pages

Browse the series

Ageing in a Global Context

ISBN

978-1447358237

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jul 19, 2023

Page count

160 pages

Browse the series

Ageing in a Global Context

ISBN

978-1447358237

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life

The last few decades have seen an increase in the migration of ageing people from richer Northern and Western countries to poorer Southern and Eastern countries. This book seeks to understand the motivation behind retirement migration and how precarity in later life contributes to this trend.

Drawing on accounts of retirees from different nations, the book examines how welfare policies in their home country and their country of migration interact to shape their experiences of migration. It shows how ageism impacts social precarity across different social classes, and across economic, social and health dimensions. It also evaluates how local and global systems of inequalities influence retirement migrants’ experience, providing both opportunities and constraints that differ across countries.

“These are insightful analyses of how the nexus of international migration and population ageing can impact individuals’ decision-making in retirement. They show us not only that privilege and precarity can coexist in the lives of international retirement migrants, but also that there is more to lifestyle migration than meets the eye." Sandra Torres, Uppsala University

"This is a sensitive and beautifully written study of how precarity intersects with both decisions to migrate and experiences of relocation later in life. It is a must-read for scholars in the field." Caroline Oliver, University College London

Marion Repetti is Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland HES-SO Valais-Wallis.

Toni Calasanti is Professor of Sociology at Virginia Tech.

1. Introduction

2. Retirement migration

3. Precarity and the welfare state in home and host countries

4. Escaping economic precarity

5. Escaping ageism

6. Relying on global privileges

7. Health and assistance precarity in later life

8. Retirement migration, precarity and age