Seniors looking for a place to retire where the weather is warmer and the cost of living is lower often consider moving to a foreign country. They may also be eager for a new cultural experience.

For example, many British citizens retire to Spain, Americans to Mexico and Japanese to Malaysia. There's a downside to settling in a new country, however, a Dutch study finds — it can be lonely.

Seniors who retired overseas felt more emotionally and socially lonely if they reported they had lost touch with people back home.

While retiring abroad is becoming more popular worldwide, the University of Groningen researchers found it can put seniors at greater risk of loneliness than retirees who remain in their home country. Seniors retiring abroad can face double jeopardy: age-related and migration-related risk factors for loneliness, both of which can add to poor health outcomes, Esma Savaş, the lead author of the study, explained.

“Although ‘retirement migrants' generally report being happy, they may still face struggles when adapting to a new country,” Savaş said. These struggles can include losing contact with friends and family, including adult children, back home.

The results come from an analysis of survey responses from almost 5,000 Dutch retirees living in 40 different countries. A group of more than 1,330 Dutch retirees still living in the Netherlands served as the control group. All the respondents were between the ages of 66 and 90.

Seniors retiring abroad can face double jeopardy: age-related and migration-related risk factors for loneliness.

The seniors were asked if they experienced emotional loneliness because they did not have a romantic partner or best friend and if they felt social loneliness as a result of a limited social circle and not feeling part of their new community.

The survey included questions about retirees' connection to family, friends and neighbors in their home countries and their new countries. Seniors who retired overseas felt more emotionally and socially lonely if they reported they had lost touch with people back home. Those who had formed a social network in their new country, were proficient in the language and felt a sense of belonging there, however, felt less socially lonely.

People considering retiring overseas should consider how they might maintain contact with friends and family back home, Savaş suggests. They should also think about how they could form social connections in their new home. The National Institute on Aging has a few ideas about how retirement migrants can avoid the social isolation that moving abroad can bring.

  • Take up or return to a hobby or activity to meet people with similar interests and make new friends.
  • Schedule time to keep in touch with friends and family at home. Learn to use technologies such as FaceTime and Zoom, email and social media to stay connected.
  • If you like and have had animals in the past, consider adopting a pet. Not only can pets be good company, but petting an animal can reduce stress and lower your blood pressure.
  • Exercise with others. Join a class or find a workout buddy.
  • Get to know your neighbors.
  • Volunteer for a cause that interests you and become active in the community.
  • Consider using language apps and taking classes to become more fluent in the local language.

The study is published in Psychology and Aging.