LONDON, 29 April 2021: Life begins at fifty-five, according to a new study that suggests the 55+plus plan to live life to the fullest in a post-pandemic world
The study commissioned by the insurance firm, Royal London, reveals the top travel destinations for over 55s and how they plan on spending life post-lockdown, as well as the factors that have held them back from achieving their dreams up to now.
With the world being in lockdown over the past year, Royal London polled Brits aged 55+ on how they plan to spend life post lockdown, as well as their top goals or dreams. Having analysed the results, it seems a staggering 64% of over 55s are planning to travel more in a post-pandemic world.
Top 10 Bucket list items revealed
33% of people aged 55+ state that they’re yet to achieve their lifelong goals due to lack of money, whilst 38% thought they would have achieved more by the time they reached 55.
When asked what bucket list items they will be chasing, the following activities came out as the top 10:
| Top activities/experiences people want to experience | % of respondents |
| See the Northern Lights | 53% |
| Travel on the orient express | 42% |
| Visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World | 36% |
| Live/buy a house abroad | 25% |
| Go on Safari | 22% |
| Take a hot air balloon ride | 20% |
| Go to a major sports event e.g., Wimbledon | 20% |
| Drive a supercar | 16% |
| Volunteer for a charity | 13% |
| Go to a festival | 13% |
What has held the over 55s back from achieving their goals
Nearly half (43%) of over 55s say they will regret not achieving their bucket list items if they fail to complete them. When asked why they’re yet to achieve their lifelong goals, respondents listed lack of money, work commitments, and family commitments as the top three reasons.
The full list of reasons that have held respondents back
| Top factors that held respondents back from achieving their dreams | % of responses |
| Lack of money | 36.6% |
| Work commitments | 16.0% |
| Family commitments | 12.4% |
| Poor health | 9.4% |
| I just never got around to planning them | 9.1% |
| I never found the time | 8.8% |
| I didn’t know where to start | 5.1% |
Commenting on the results Louise Eaton-Terry, the later life lead at Royal London states: “Travel and new experiences are high on the bucket lists of over-55s post-pandemic. The research also shows that nearly half would regret not achieving their bucket list, with the lack of money or work and family commitments likely to be the reason for them not achieving their goals.”
Methodology:
The survey conducted by Royal London covered 1,000 UK respondents aged 55+.
For more information: https://www.royallondon.com/equity-release/over-55s-the-secret-to-happy-life/
About Royal London
Royal London is the largest mutual life insurance, pensions and investment company in the UK, with assets under management of UKP148 billion, 8.8 million policies in force and more than 4,000 employees.
