The tradition of retiring by 65 is on the wane in New Zealand. In 1986 about 20,000 people aged 65 or more were still working. By 2006 that number had increased four-fold, to over 80,000. This is partly because the number of older people in the total population increased during this period. The improving health of older people, the willingness of employers to take on or keep older workers, and the abolition of a compulsory retirement age were other factors.