Nearly 20% of people who have taken early retirement did so at this time in their lives.
Sixty is also the most popular target age for those who intend to retire early in the years ahead.
Aviva says the desire to retire early is primarily driven by "wanting to enjoy more freedom while still being physically fit and well enough to enjoy it".
Financial security is the second-most common factor prompting workers to embrace retirement.
More than one in four early retirees say their decision was a result of "being in a financially stable position" so they can afford not to work.
The influence of money matters is also visible in people's choice of early-retirement age.
Many workers have set their sights on 55 to make the transition from working life.
This is likely to be influenced by their ability to access their pension savings from this age.
Other key factors encouraging people to seek early retirement include reassessing their priorities and what's important to them in life (23%), wishing to spend more time with family (20%) or finding they are either "tired and bored" of working (19%) or find it "too taxing and stressful" (19%).
More than two-thirds of people who have retired early say their happiness improved as a result.
However, Aviva’s findings also suggest that the benefits of early retirement do come at a cost, with nearly half of people finding their finances worsening as a result.
Among those who have retired early, one in three say having a defined benefit (final salary) pension was among the main measures that enabled them to take retirement into their own hands.
Paying off the mortgage (30%) was identified as the second-most common stepping stone to retiring early, while almost three in 10 of early retirees say saving little and often was one of their main strategies.
Nearly one in five say they also saved extra whenever they received a pay rise or a bonus during their working life.
Alistair McQueen, head of savings and retirement at Aviva, said:
"The turbulent times we're living through have given many people pause for thought to consider their work-life balance and think more seriously about what makes them happy.
"Our findings suggest the dream of an early retirement is very much alive and kicking, but there are many factors to consider along the way and the current uncertainty about the future does not make this an easy decision.
"The experiences of people who've already reached early retirement show that small savings habits, which add up over time, are every bit as important as big gestures such as putting aside any year-end bonus.
"It's also important to learn from the lesson that, while happiness soars in retirement, many people find their finances take the strain when they retire early and money worries are one of the biggest factors resulting in people returning to work.
"If you aspire to retire early, it's vital you plan your finances to be sustainable for the long-term."
Based on tax legislation at the time of publication. Please be aware that there will have been changes since this was published. Speak to your adviser for the most up to date information.
