A survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute shows that only 46% of Canadians were able to retire when they had planned to do so, while circumstances forced 48% to retire earlier and 6% later than anticipated.

The poll of more than 800 Canadians asked people about when, why, and how they are retiring. One thing it revealed was that an early or younger exit from the workforce is not necessarily to be envied. "The almost half (48%) of retirees who said they were forced by circumstance to retire earlier than planned are as likely to be struggling as they are to say they have enough money to do what they want – 27% in each case, with the plurality (46%) opting for the middle option of ‘living comfortably’,” reads the report.

In terms of financial ease, there was a divide between private and public sector employees; 22% of the people who had retired from the private sector said they were struggling financially, while only 12% of those with public sector pensions were experiencing difficulties.

The survey also found that 48% of those who had already retired were worried about outliving their money, while 74% of those who were still working expressed similar concerns.