How did European retirees respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?

We investigate the role of retirement on the adoption of preventive behaviours and on mental health during the first wave of the pandemic. We address the endogeneity of the timing of retirement using variation in early retirement and old-age pension eligibility. We find that those who retired earlier responded to the pandemic by limiting their mobility more, and by adopting stricter preventive behaviours in public. These limitations affected the mental health of singles in retirement. •European retirees adopt preventive behaviours during the first wave of the pandemic.•Early retirement accelerates the take-up of preventive behaviours that comes with age.•These preventive behaviours hampered the mental health of singles in retirement.