International Pension Gap Index

How much savings do you need to maintain your standard of living in retirement?

How much do you have to save to be able to enjoy your retirement in Switzerland? And how much would it be in Germany? In our report we compare the situation in different countries and illustrate the idiosyncrasies of various pension schemes, their advantages and disadvantages and potential models for Switzerland.

Jane is 50 years old and single. She has had a good, but simple life, and hasn’t yet thought much about her retirement savings.

We have calculated her living costs and pension income from compulsory insurance throughout her retirement, with each calculation assuming that she lives in a different capital city. This allowed us to calculate the gap between her expected revenue and expenses.

The results are as different as the cultures among the 24 countries we analyzed. In order for an “average person” like Jane to secure their desired standard of living in retirement, they must make private savings in most cases. The UBS Pension Gap Index shows how much of her current monthly income Jane would have to save to close this gap, depending on which city she lives in.

See the full reportpdf, 9 MB

Retirement savings by country

Jane in France

Savings rate*: 44% Replacement rate**: 78% Retirement age: 65 Life expectancy: 87

Jane in Germany

Savings rate*: 31% Replacement rate**: 62% Retirement age: 67 Life expectancy: 87

Jane in Italy

Savings rate*: 32% Replacement rate**: 86% Retirement age: 67 Life expectancy: 88

Jane in Netherlands

Savings rate*: 5% Replacement rate**: 106% Retirement age: 68 Life expectancy: 84

Jane in South Africa

Savings rate*: 63% Replacement rate**: 51% Retirement age: 60 Life expectancy: 79

Jane in Japan

Savings rate*: 102% Replacement rate**: 40% Retirement age: 60/65 Life expectancy: 91

Jane in the USA

Savings rate*: 42% Replacement rate**: 50% Retirement age: 67 Life expectancy: 84

*Savings rate: how much (%) of Jane’s monthly income she has to save to maintain her standard of living.

**Replacement rate: how much retirement income Jane will receive as a percentage of her last salary.

Do I have enough savings to retire in Switzerland?

The concept is simple – if pillars 1 and 2 are not enough to maintain your desired standard of living in retirement, you’ll need to save more. How much? Find out in a few clicks.

Good advice pays off

We can provide comprehensive advice and will be happy to answer any questions you may have about saving for retirement. For example:

  • How can I invest my money to get higher returns?
  • How can I finance my own home using my retirement savings?
  • How can I best plan my retirement to save on taxes?

Want to grow your retirement savings faster?

Invest your retirement assets in investment funds and benefit in the long term from higher potential returns. And that's not all – by investing in UBS Vitainvest Sustainable (SI) Funds, you not only strengthen your private pension savings, but also do something good for society and the environment.

More on Vitainvest Sustainable Funds