Sunset migration

‘Sunset migration’ is about the movement, around retirement age, of usually middle- and upper-class individuals, often couples, to places where climate and other environmental factors (scenery, proximity to the sea, cultural resources) are the main attractions. Within Europe, these are north-to-south migrations targeting regions such as coastal Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands, southern France, Tuscany, Malta and Cyprus. It can be viewed as a kind of ‘lifestyle migration’, but it is also often linked to a prior history of mobility such as living abroad as ‘expats’, or visiting the retirement destination as a tourist. The chapter reviews different typologies of retirement migration, the driving forces behind it, and social and economic impacts. That last includes settlement and housing types, issues of integration or non-integration and demands placed on local health and welfare services. For the retirees, difficult decisions have to be made when faced with challenges such as physical or mental illness or the loss of a partner.