Women are also less hopeful about the age they get to retire, with one in five believing they will have to work until the age of 70 to be able to afford retirement. For men, it was 16pc.
The findings come from a nationwide survey by iReach on behalf of the insurance firm Royal London Ireland.
It questioned 1,000 adults across Ireland about the age at which workers believe they can realistically afford to retire.
Overall, the survey found most people believe retiring early remains out of reach, with six in 10 saying quitting before the state pension age of 66 did not feel financially realistic.
About half of those questioned expect to retire at 65 or 66, while nearly one in five workers believe they will not be able to afford to retire until they reach 70.
Despite the findings, there are signs of increased confidence among a small cohort, with 6pc of workers saying they aim to retire by age 55, which is double the figure recorded a year ago.
The increase is most noticeable among those aged 45 to 54, where more than one in 10 now believe retirement at 55 could be achievable.
Attitudes towards the idea of stopping work for good are shifting, with 15pc of women saying they never want to fully retire, compared with 10pc of men.
Among workers aged 55 and over, the percentage saying they never want to retire has risen to 18pc, up from 13pc in 2024.
A previous study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found the pension income of retired women in Ireland is about 35pc lower than for men, a gap that continues to shape expectations about when retirement is financially possible.
“The prospect of retiring before the state pension age of 66 remains out of reach for most, who say it simply isn’t financially realistic,” said Mark Reilly, the pension proposition lead with Royal London Ireland.
“For women especially, that ambition feels even more out of reach, reflecting the ongoing gender pension gap and the financial pressures many households continue to face.
“Following the introduction of auto-enrolment this year, these findings take on even greater significance.
“Auto-enrolment has the potential to close some of the gaps we see today, particularly for younger workers and women, by ensuring more consistent pension saving earlier in people’s careers.”
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