The secret to a happy marriage is RETIREMENT

It’s official, the secret to a happy marriage is RETIREMENT, according to new research. 

A new study of retired Brits has revealed that over two thirds of couples in their golden years claim they are happier now than they EVER have been. 

A further 65 percent said their marriage or relationship is stronger since retirement because they now have more time to spend with each-other. 

Over half (52 percent) said their relationship had flourished since giving up work as they no longer have to endure the stresses of office life – or the pressures of running a family home.

But the poll of 1,500 sixty plus adults by McCarthy & Stone found four in ten claim lots of holidays were the reason their marriage was better than ever, while 44 percent said it was because they enjoy more meals out, dates and joint hobbies.

Overall, 64 percent of those polled said life has never been so good, while 48 percent said they are enjoying life much more as they have got older.

Nearly three quarters of those polled said they were happy with what they had achieved in life with marriage, children, owning a home and travelling the world among the biggest accomplishments.

Over a third even went as far to say their sixties or seventies was their best decade to date – compared to only 12 percent who said it was their twenties.

The research all points to retirement being the key to a happy marriage.

A spokesperson for retirement housebuilder, McCarthy & Stone said: “It’s really encouraging and uplifting to hear that so many sixty plus adults are having the time of their lives.

“The research shows that leaving behind the stresses and strains of working, bringing up a family and maintaining a home can give older couples a whole new lease of life.

“After dedicating so much of their life to work and making sure others are looked after, it’s great that so many of the older generation are making the most of their freedom.”

The study showed that spending your weekend doing DIY and doing big weekly food shops was one of the things pensioners didn’t miss about being younger.

Neither was sittings exams, worrying about your weight and trying to get on the property ladder.

Ironing school uniforms on a Sunday night, cooking family meals every evening and hosting the family Christmas were also things older people were glad to see the back of.

Of the pensioners polled, 28 percent have already downsized with nearly nine in ten couples claiming it had made life much easier.

A quarter went as far to say it’s the best thing they ever did and they wish they had done it sooner.

The poll found age 67 was the perfect time to downsize – with plus points of selling the family home for a smaller property emerging as cheaper utility bills, less DIY and maintenance, and not being put upon to host all the big family parties.