Global Retirement Security Under Pressure as Aging Populations and Inflation Strain Systems
Event summary
- Norway maintains top spot in Natixis IM's 2026 Global Retirement Index with a score of 83%, while Finland drops 12 places to 35th.
- Iceland falls five places from fourth to ninth, driven by a collapse in Material Wellbeing due to higher unemployment.
- 78% of investors across 21 countries believe it is increasingly their responsibility to fund retirement on their own.
- Policy reforms focus on access, automation, and accumulation to address retirement security concerns.
The big picture
Natixis IM's 2026 Global Retirement Index highlights the intensifying pressure on retirement security due to aging populations, record public debt, and persistent inflation. The index, compiled with CoreData Research, assesses 44 countries on factors like healthcare access, climate, governance, and population wellbeing. The findings underscore the need for policy reforms and individual action to ensure retirement security in an evolving economic landscape. With over $1.5 trillion in assets under management, Natixis IM's insights are critical for investors and policymakers navigating these challenges.
What we're watching
- Policy Reform
- Whether global policymakers can effectively modernize retirement systems to adapt to longer lives and changing work patterns.
- Individual Responsibility
- How the shift towards individual responsibility for retirement funding will impact savings behaviors and financial security.
- Economic Pressures
- The pace at which aging populations, record public debt, and persistent inflation will continue to strain retirement systems worldwide.