Almost three-quarters of the working Dutch population say they want to retire before the official retirement age, which is gradually been put up to 67.

Nevertheless, half of those who say they want to stop work earlier, have not made any financial provisions to ensure they can do so financially, according to research by financial services website Wijzer in Geldzaken.

On average, people hope to retire at the age of 61, the poll of 1,000 people between the ages of 21 and 66 found. One in five people, however, would like to work beyond the official retirement age.

The average age at which people actually retire is now around 64, compared with 61 at the turn of the century. The government began actively encouraging people to work for longer in 2007 by phasing out the tax breaks on early retirement schemes.