Executive Summary: Global Retirement Savers Study

Findings from the UK

2026 Global Retirement Savers Study (UK)Contents

Economic views and sources of financial stress

Savings and investing

Sources of retirement information and advice

Retirement expectations

Important Information

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Global Retirement Savers Study

Intro from Richard Parkin, Head of UK Retirement

Economic views and sources of financial stress

Savings and investing

Sources of retirement information and advice

Retirement expectations

Introduction

Our inaugural T. Rowe Price Global Retirement Savers Study offers insights on the priorities, concerns, and preferences of retirement savers across five of the world’s largest retirement markets—Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

This research can help employers, human resources professionals, pension providers, advisers and consultants tailor retirement investment solutions, plan design, and communication strategies to address the unique needs of UK retirement savers.

Richard Parkin
Head of UK Retirement

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Key Insights

Inflation emerges as a top economic concern across global retirement markets, including in the UK where about 2-in-5 UK savers are very concerned about inflation*.

While over half of UK retirement savers indicate that they are contributing all they can afford to their workplace pension, many believe their contributions, combined with that of an employer, will not be enough for a comfortable retirement.

UK retirement savers point to their workplace pension as an important source of financial education and support. They also report strong reliance on and a preference for human advisers, demonstrating the need for a combination of scalable advice and on a human, one-on-one basis.

Many UK retirement savers plan to retire at a specific age; however, this expectation declines from younger to older generations. Nearly one-third anticipate continuing some form of work in retirement.

*This survey was fielded between 24 June to 31 July 2025.

MethodologyInstrument

Twenty-minute online survey in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK and the US.

The sample was constructed to reflect the demographic composition of each country's workforce, ensuring representation across age, gender and regional distributions.

All survey respondents were adults age 18 and older who are currently employed (full time or part time) and have never retired. The respondents either actively contribute to or are eligible to contribute to a defined contribution (DC) or similar account‑based workplace retirement plan.

While over half of UK retirement savers say they are contributing all they can, many still believe it won’t be enough for a comfortable retirement.