Couples who want comfortable retirement need ‘annual income of £26,000’

Consumer group Which? surveyed nearly 7,000 retirees in February about their spending to develop retirement income targets for one-person and two-person households.

While each person’s circumstances are different, the findings could help to indicate how much someone might need to save. The figures include state and private pension income.

A comfortable retirement includes enough to pay for essentials as well as regular short-haul holidays, hobbies, alcohol and charity giving.

Couples will typically need an annual income of around £18,000 just to cover essentials such as food and drink, household bills, transport, clothing and health products, Which? calculated.