Do you have £50,000 set aside for retirement?

A comprehensive survey spanning 12 countries by the private healthcare providers Bupa has found that less than a third of British people think they need to save for their retirement.

According to the UK Director of Bupa, Oliver Thomas, costs after the age of 65 like home adaptations, meals on wheels and care home fees can mount up to around £50,000 - and one in ten people will need double that amount.

The survey indicates that as a nation, Britain is less aware of retirement costs than China and Thailand, who are much more likely to save for this expense. Of those who are aware, 16% think they may need to sell their home for retirement costs.

In the majority of countries surveyed, women were found to be significantly less likely than men to have put money aside for old age. When you consider that women tend to live longer than men, they're more likely to need social care, Bupa warns. 70% of its UK care home residents are female.

More British women are anxious than men about who will care for them in retirement. 21% of British women share this concern, whereas only 13% of British men worry about it.

A spokesperson for debt management company Gregory Pennington commented: "While saving for the future is important, there are many people who are unable to save at the moment because of debt problems. Thankfully, a debt problem only needs to be temporary.

"With the right help and support you can deal with your debt and plan for the future again. If you are unable to save for your future at the moment because of debt, speak to a debt expert."