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 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 3

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.

Question 4

Which country reportedly spent the highest share of government spending on pensions among Italy, Japan and Greece (2021-2023)?

Accepted Answer

Italy, at about 28.7%. Italy, Japan and Greece all devoted close to 29% of government spending to pensions, among the highest shares of any nations compared.

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 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?

Which country reportedly spent the highest share of government spending on pensions among Italy, Japan and Greece (2021-2023)?