Nearly two thirds of employees expect to retire in their sixties, according to a Department for Work & Pensions survey of 4,300 people in private pensions.
The survey of employees aged 18 plus found 17 per cent expect to retire in their seventies.
The survey's results revealed those in younger age groups were more likely to say they expect to retire in their seventies.
This was represented by 37 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 21 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds.
Of those who expected to retire at age 65 or before, the most likely reason given was because they wanted to at 36 per cent, followed by being able to afford to at 20 per cent.
According to the results, of those already retired, 39 per cent said they did so because they wanted to and 20 per cent said they retired due to ill-health.
Currently employed adults said that their employer could offer them flexible hours to keep working at 47 per cent, part-time working at 46 per cent and taking on a less demanding role at 30 per cent.
The proportion of respondents saying they would take-up the option to update their skills to help them work longer decreased as household income increased, according to the report.
Additionally pensions knowledge has increased with more people reporting a good or reasonable knowledge of pensions issues in the 2015 survey in comparison to the same questions in 2011 - 33 per cent in 2011 and 47 per cent in 2015.
Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at Hargreaves Lansdown, said attitudes to later life employment and to retirement are changing, with increasing emphasis on flexible and part-time employment in the approach to retirement.
He said: "It is also encouraging to see strengthening recognition of the value and importance of pension saving to pay for retirement.
"However there is a worrying disconnect developing between the needs and expectations of individuals on the one hand, and Treasury pensions policy on the other.
"With the notable exception of the pension freedoms of 2015, Treasury pension policy is making it harder and harder for ordinary investors to build a decent retirement fund.
"The most recent announcement (in the Autumn Statement) on the money purchase annual allowance is particularly destructive in undermining individuals’ ability to make a flexible transition from employment to retirement.
"This would only worsen if auto-enrolment minimum contributions are raised in the future as is widely anticipated.”
ruth.gillbe@ft.com
