Inspiring a World of Habitual Savers: The Aegon Retirement Readiness Survey 2015 explores how increasing life expectancy is having a profound impact on how societies all over the world plan for retirement. The research report shows how this changing financial landscape is impacting on people’s changing expectations and aspirations for later life. 

In 2015, the survey findings reveal an increasingly positive picture about the global state of retirement preparedness. The improving fortunes for the global economy, compared with 2012 when the annual was first conducted, is clearly impacting people’s economic outlook. The research finds an increase in the number of people who feel positive about their own financial situation compared to previous years. This increasing positivity extends to the perceived prospects for future generations of retirees.

However, this positive sentiment about retirement readiness is only partially matched by changes in savings behavior.  There has been an increase in the number of people saving for retirement, and the number of people who are saving on a consistent basis, but it is also clear that some people are feeling buoyed simply by the improving economic situation. The challenge is to inspire a world of habitual savers and make this gold standard a global trend.

The findings in this report are based on the responses of 16,000 employees and retirees in 15 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Interviews were conducted online in 2015.