Most Irish Adults Don’t Believe the State Pension Will Be Enough 

New research from askpaul’s third annual national pension survey conducted in May 2026 paints a clear picture: retirement anxiety is rising, and for many people, the gap between expectation and preparation is growing wider. 

Ireland has a pension problem. People know they are not saving enough, they feel the weight of that, and most don’t know where to start.  The numbers are striking, but the story behind them is one most people will recognise. 

Why most Irish adults aren’t counting on the State Pension 

Awareness of the State Pension is relatively high , close to two-thirds of respondents know roughly what it pays. But knowing the figure and feeling confident about it are very different things. 

Just 23% of those surveyed believe the State Pension will still exist in its current form when they retire. Over a third expect it to be cut or significantly changed. A further 5% think it won’t exist at all. And for 64% of respondents, the conclusion is simple: the State Pension alone would not be enough to survive on. 

That’s a remarkable level of scepticism about one of the most fundamental pillars of retirement planning in Ireland. 

Almost Half expect to work until at least 66 

Almost half of respondents (45%) expect to retire at 66 or later. Within that group, 13% expect to work into their late 60s, 5% beyond 70, and 4% say they believe they will never retire at all. Only one in ten expect to retire before 60. 

These aren’t aspirational figures. For most people, they reflect a quiet acceptance that saving enough, early enough, simply hasn’t happened yet. 

The housing crisis is reshaping retirement saving 

One of the clearest findings from this year’s survey is the direct link between housing costs and pension contributions. Nearly 58% of respondents say that rent or mortgage repayments leave minimal room for pension saving. 

For younger workers juggling housing costs, childcare, and the general cost of living, long-term saving gets pushed down the list. This is not a failure of ambition. It is an arithmetic problem, and it has serious long-term consequences. 

Most people know they’re behind, and it’s weighing on them 

Over 42% of respondents say they are saving something toward retirement, but probably not enough. A further 11% know they should start but haven’t yet. 

The survey points to a growing sense of financial fatigue around retirement planning, a feeling that the goal is real, the urgency is there, but the path forward is unclear. Only 9% cited embarrassment about how little they had saved as a barrier to seeking advice. The bigger issue is simply not knowing where to start, or who to trust. 

Most people are closer to financial difficulty than they realise 

The survey also highlights how fragile many people’s financial buffers are. Over a third of respondents could not sustain themselves beyond three months if they lost their main income tomorrow. Fourteen percent would run out within a month. Only 17% have more than a year’s financial cushion. 

Consistent, long-term pension saving is very difficult when short-term financial security is already stretched thin. 

Employer pension contributions are going unnoticed 

One of the more surprising findings: a third of employees cannot say with certainty what their employer contributes to their pension. Twenty-one percent have only a rough idea, and 11% have no idea at all. 

For many people, employer contributions represent a meaningful and immediate source of retirement funding. Not knowing what’s already there means a key part of the picture is effectively invisible. 

Advice helps, but most people haven’t sought it 

Half of those who did seek pension advice found it genuinely useful. Yet a third of adults have never had any meaningful guidance on their pension and are navigating it alone. 

The barrier isn’t apathy. It’s uncertainty about where to go, who to trust, and whether it’s too late to make a difference. 

Paul Merriman, CEO of askpaul, puts it plainly: “Retirement is fast becoming a source of real financial anxiety in Ireland. The most important message from this survey is simple: start. Even the smallest contribution will make a difference over time.” 

What you can do now 

If any of the above feels familiar, the good news is that starting is more accessible than most people think. A no-obligation conversation with one of our financial advisors takes less than an hour and can give you a clear picture of where you stand and what your options are. Whether you’re just starting out, returning to a pension you’ve neglected, or trying to make sense of what your employer is contributing on your behalf, we’re here to help. 

Talk to a financial advisor today 

Survey conducted between 1 and 6 May 2026 with 511 respondents. Research was carried out using Survey Monkey  by Fairstone Asset Management DAC trading as askpaul. Fairstone Asset Management DAC trading as Fairstone & askpaul is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland..