East India has emerged as the most retirement-ready region in the country, recording the highest score of 52 in Axis Max Life Insurance’s India Retirement Index Study (IRIS 5.0), conducted in partnership with Kantar. The score stands well above the national average of 48, reflecting strong regional performance across financial and health preparedness indicators.
The Financial Preparedness Index remained stable at 52, the highest among all regions, driven by disciplined investment behaviour and early planning. Nearly 75% of respondents have already started investing for retirement, while 53% believe planning should begin before the age of 35, up from 43% in IRIS 2.0. Investments aimed at financial independence rose from 28% to 37%. Insurance adoption also strengthened, with term plan ownership increasing from 47% to 60% and ULIP adoption from 34% to 46%. Around 69% feel secure about retirement, and 52% expect their savings to last beyond 10 years.
Health preparedness improved, with the index rising from 46 to 49. About 55% opt for annual health check-ups and 53% have health insurance, while 81% expect to remain healthy in retirement. However, emotional preparedness declined from 61 to 59, with concerns over dependency (70%), environmental risks (84%), and loneliness (69%) rising.
While financial and health preparedness trends are improving in line with broader East India patterns, emotional preparedness and structured retirement planning awareness remain relatively low, indicating scope for further financial literacy initiatives in the region.
