A fifth of over-50s say they married the wrong person 18 per cent of 1,000 people in online survey said they chose wrong spouse Only a lack of world travel and retirement savings prompted more regret 17 per cent never told their parents how much they meant to them Almost a fifth of over-50s think they married the wrong person - more than chose the wrong career or didn't spend enough time with their children. Picking the wrong spouse has been exposed as one of Britons' biggest regrets in a new survey on the silent traumas of empty-nesters. It was the third most common, beaten only by the number of people who wished they had seen more of the world (23 per cent) or saved more for retirement (19 per cent). Regrets: Almost a fifth of over-50s think they married the wrong spouse, a survey claims (posed by models) But there is some hope - as almost half of those questioned (45 per cent) feel more youthful than their parents' generation was, and 12 per cent have 'falling in love again' on their bucket list. The online survey, which quizzed 1,000 people over 50 about their top ten regrets, did not reveal how many of the respondents were still with their spouses. Some regrets were heavily laden with emotion - 17 per cent said they never told their parents how much they meant to them, while 15 per cent did not spend enough time with their children or worried too much about what others thought. Others were more predictable. A sixth of the participants (16 per cent) chose the wrong career and another 16 per cent spent too much of their lives at work. Another sixth (15 per cent) wished they had learned to play a musical instrument, or wanted to ask their grandparents more about life before they died.Â Sadness: But there is some hope - as more than a tenth wanted to fall in love again (posed by models) The over-50s' bucket lists, meanwhile, read like a travel brochure of one's dreams. The top ten responses included cruising the world, living abroad, flying first class, swimming with dolphins and going on safari in Africa. There are some more heartfelt ambitions too, however - a tenth of over-50s still want to publish their first novel, and 14 per cent are yearning for grandchildren.Â Martin Lock, chief executive of lifestyle website Silversurfers, which commissioned the study, said the lack of saving for pensions was worrying. 'The over 50s have reached a point where they feel more confident about themselves,' he said. However, our research shows they may not have the money to really enjoy these years. 1) Not seeing enough of the world (23 per cent of respondents) 2) Not saving enough for retirement (19 per cent) 3) Marrying the wrong person (18 per cent) 4) Not telling their parents how much they meant to them (17 per cent) 5) Choosing the wrong career (16 per cent) 6) Spending too much time at work (16 per cent) 7) Not spending enough time with their children (15 per cent) 8) Worrying too much about what other people thought (15 per cent) 9) Not learning to play a musical instrument (15 per cent) 10) Not asking grandparents more about their life before they died (15 per cent)