Doctors are calling for a gradual increase in the retirement age to free up funding for health initiatives.

An editorial in the New Zealand Medical Journal is proposing the top actions needed to address inequalities in health, including making the country smokefree by 2025.

One of the ways suggested to fund this is raising the age of when people can receive their pension.

Researcher and author Professor Tony Blakely said superannuation is the biggest benefit in New Zealand, costing $8 billion a year.

He said it’s time to look at “inter-generational equity” and consider lifting age the age of eligibility of retirement, in the same way the UK, Australia and other countries are.

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