Hanna van Solinge

Hanna van Solinge is a Researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) in The Hague, specializing in retirement studies and aging populations. With a PhD from Wageningen University (2006), she has established herself as a leading expert in retirement transitions, labor force participation in later life, and adjustment to retirement. Her work bridges demographic analysis with psychological insights to provide comprehensive understanding of retirement as a life transition.

Dr. van Solinge earned her degree in Home Economics and Demography from Wageningen University, where she defended her thesis 'Changing tracks. Studies on life after early retirement in the Netherlands' in 2006. Her doctoral research laid the foundation for her ongoing work examining the complex dynamics of retirement decision-making and post-retirement adjustment.

Her research focuses on the psychological and social dimensions of retirement, examining how individuals navigate the transition from work to retirement. She has made significant contributions to understanding the 'busy ethic' concept, involuntary retirement pathways, and the social networks that shape post-retirement life. Her work reveals that retirement is not a single event but a complex process influenced by health, organizational factors, and personal agency. Recent studies show increasing trends of working past traditional retirement age, with job satisfaction rather than financial need as the primary motivator.

Analysis of Dr. van Solinge's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a sophisticated understanding of retirement as a multidimensional phenomenon. Her work spans gerontology, demography, psychology, and social policy, with particular attention to how retirement affects social relationships, family dynamics, and community participation. She has documented significant increases in independent living among 80+ populations and growing volunteerism after retirement, while also examining the challenges of involuntary retirement pathways.

Dr. van Solinge has co-organized three large Panel Studies on Work and Retirement in the Netherlands, establishing herself as a key contributor to longitudinal research in this field. Her scholarly output includes over 60 publications in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Gerontology and European Journal of Public Health, along with significant contributions to authoritative reference works including The Oxford Handbook of Retirement.