33% of workers now confident about comfortable retirement – Aegon

33% of workers felt very or extremely confident about being able to retire comfortably, according to Aegon’s latest ‘Second 50’ data.

This was up from 22% in 2023 and 30% in 2024.

Confidence levels were highest among younger workers and men, with 55% of 25 to 34-year-olds feeling confident compared to 14% of those aged 45 to 54. 

43% of men said they felt confident about retiring in comfort, compared to 23% of women. 

There was a clear difference by income too, with just 18% of low-income workers feeling confident, compared to 71% of higher earners.

Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon, said: “It’s encouraging to see confidence in retiring comfortably improving year-on-year. 

“This improvement could reflect the broader economic trends we’ve seen in recent years, including earnings growth rising faster than inflation, inflation easing from its peak, and interest rates steadying.

“But it’s also clear from our results that this optimism isn’t shared equally. Women and lower-income workers continue to report significantly lower confidence, which points to persistent challenges and also highlights the importance of further industry support and engagement.”