Nine out of 10 people who emigrated last year were of working age but up to 8,000 pensioners moved overseas. The peak year for pensioners emigrating was at the height of the property boom in 2006 when 22,000 emigrated. However, the numbers have fallen since the financial crisis as pensioners have found it more difficult to sell their homes to live “more cheaply” and in warmer locations abroad, the report said.