Purpose This systematic literature review maps and critically synthesises the fragmented research on the decomposition of retirement pathways. It aims to clarify concepts, compare methodological approaches and establish a foundation for understanding retirement as a de-standardised, multi-phase transition. Design/methodology/approach Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCO databases, identifying 602 publications. After a two-stage screening, 32 core studies were selected for in-depth analysis to trace definitions, methods and typologies of retirement pathways. Findings Scholarly interest increased markedly post-2010, reflecting diversified retirement patterns. Research predominantly uses longitudinal methods (sequence analysis, latent class models) to identify pathways like gradual retirement, bridge employment, unretirement and involuntary exits. However, the field suffers from conceptual fragmentation, inconsistent terminology and a lack of standardised definitions, impeding comparability. Research limitations/implications The review is limited to English-language, peer-reviewed articles. The geographic imbalance of the evidence base and a disproportionate reliance on US-based research with an underrepresentation of the most rapidly ageing countries stems from the availability of data sets. Future research must develop standardised definitions and adopt comparative, mixed methods designs to explore how institutional contexts shape retirement trajectories. Practical implications Policymakers and practitioners should use the identified typology to reform pension systems, eliminate disincentives for prolonged work and create tailored pre-retirement counselling and age-friendly workplace practices that support flexible exits. Social implications The destandardisation of retirement is a societal shift with equity implications. Social policy must adapt to prevent new inequalities in access to desirable pathways and ensure well-being across diverse social groups in ageing societies. Originality/value This is the first systematic review focused explicitly on the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of retirement pathway decomposition. By systematically disentangling the inconsistent terminology, heterogeneous definitions and diverse identification strategies (including confirmatory vs. exploratory approaches) prevalent in the literature, the review offers a structured integrative synthesis that organises existing conceptual and methodological approaches to retirement pathways. This framework bridges life-course sociology and social policy analysis, providing much-needed conceptual clarity for researchers and a structured evidence base for policymakers.
Jurek et al. (Thu,) studied this question.