Journalists have presented a lot of anecdotal evidence that Americans are increasingly retiring at an older age. A new Gallup poll confirms the trend.

It shows that U.S. retirees report retiring at an average age of 62, the highest since Gallup first began tracking the statistic in 1991. The latest figure is up from 61 last year.

Meanwhile, the average age at which non-retired Americans expect to retire is now 66,
unchanged from last year, but up from 63 in 2002.

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Younger Americans are apparently the most optimistic about retirement. A total of 11 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds anticipate retiring before they turn 55, a much higher percentage than for other age groups.

"Although Gallup has always found a consistent gap in the age at which retired Americans report retiring and the age at which non-retirees expect to retire, both averages have crept up over the past decade," writes Gallup's Rebecca Riffkin.

"This likely reflects the changing landscape of retirement, including longer life spans, changes in Social Security benefits and employer-sponsored retirement plans and lifestyle choices, such as a desire to keep working after reaching the traditional retirement age."

In the past, most people figured they could retire at the age of 65.

But, "my clients that are in their 50s and 60s are looking at their Social Security statements, savings accounts and 401k statements and are realizing the numbers are not adding up to equal the needed monies to cover their rising healthcare costs and monthly expenses," Chelse Stevens a financial planner at Capital Financial Group, told WBIR.com of Knoxville, Tenn.

"They're realizing that they will most likely have to work longer than 65."

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