Pension facts & stats

Question 1

What share of U.S. private industry workers had access to a defined contribution plan (like a 401(k)) in 2025?

Accepted Answer

70%. Defined contribution plans, where workers and often employers contribute to an individual account, have become far more common than traditional pensions.

Question 2

How does retirement plan access compare between small firms (under 100 workers) and large firms (500+ workers)?

Accepted Answer

59% at small firms vs 90% at large firms. Workers at large employers are far more likely to have access to a retirement plan than workers at small businesses.

Question 3

How does access to a traditional defined benefit pension compare between small and large firms?

Accepted Answer

6% vs 36%. Traditional pensions have survived mainly at larger employers, including many government and unionized workplaces.

Question 4

Of the roughly $50.7 trillion in global pension assets in 2019, about how much was held in the United States?

Accepted Answer

about $32.2 trillion. The U.S. held nearly two-thirds of all global pension assets tracked in this comparison, far ahead of the UK, Canada and Australia.

Pension facts & stats

Going deeper

What share of U.S. private industry workers had access to a defined contribution plan (like a 401(k)) in 2025?

Expert level

How does retirement plan access compare between small firms (under 100 workers) and large firms (500+ workers)?

How does access to a traditional defined benefit pension compare between small and large firms?

Of the roughly $50.7 trillion in global pension assets in 2019, about how much was held in the United States?