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In Quarter 3 2025, two-thirds of workers in the State had supplementary pension cover of some form with pension coverage greatest among workers aged 45 to 54 years at 77%. It remained lowest among younger workers with one-fifth of workers aged 20 to 24 years having some form of pension coverage.
Of workers with supplementary pension cover, seven in ten have occupational pension cover from current/previous employments, while a further one in nine have a personal pension or PRSA, while one in five have both forms of pension.
For employees with occupational pensions from their current employment in 2025, the number with ‘defined benefit’ pensions was unchanged from 2024 at 26%, while the number of people with ‘defined contribution’ pensions was also similar to the 69% recorded in 2024.
For those workers with no occupational pension coverage from their current employment in 2025, almost half (48%) stated that their employer does not offer a pension scheme, down from 53% in the same period in 2024.
Of workers with no supplementary pension cover in 2025, almost half (49%) stated they never got around to organising it or would organise it at a future date, up from 43% in 2024, while 58% of those aged 55 to 69 years said affordability as the main reason (48% in 2024).
The State Pension was cited as the expected main source of income on retirement for more than half (52%) of workers in 2025 with no pension coverage. Just over one-quarter (26%) had not yet decided how they would fund their retirement.
Awareness of and intent to participate in the Government Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme increased in 2025. Some 45% of employees aged between 23 and 60 who are eligible to be auto-enrolled were aware of it, up from 29% in 2024, while 74% of these employees would be willing to remain in the scheme, up from 72% in 2024.
In the 2025 survey, questions on awareness of and interest in partaking in the Government's planned Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme were included in the survey questionnaire (also included in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 surveys). Under this scheme, workers who do not have an occupational pension from their current employment will be automatically enrolled in a new retirement savings scheme if they are aged between 23 and 60 years. The employer and the State will also contribute to the retirement savings scheme on their behalf. More information on this Government scheme is available in the Background Notes.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (17 April 2026) published the results of the Pensions Survey which was carried out in Quarter 3 (Q3) 2025.
Commenting on the release, Maureen Delamere, Statistician in the Social Modules Division, said:
“The results in this release cover pension provision outside of the State Pension. The release includes a selection of statistics with additional data available on the CSO’s open data portal, PxStat. Of the people in employment in Q3 (July, August, and September) 2025, more than two-thirds (67%) had pension coverage of some form, outside of the State Pension.
Pension Coverage by Age
Pension coverage in 2025, was lowest among younger workers. One in five (20%) of workers in the 20 to 24 years age group had pension coverage of some form in 2025. Of those aged 20 to 24 years, females (22%) were more likely than males (17%) to have supplementary pension cover of some form.
The number of people taking out supplementary pension coverage increases with age. Almost three-quarters (74%) of the oldest age group surveyed, people aged 55-69 years, had supplementary pension cover. Most supplementary pension cover is with Defined Contribution (69% of pensions) rather than Defined Benefit (26% of pensions). Just 5% had hybrid pension schemes (neither a full Defined Benefit scheme nor a full Defined Contribution scheme but has some of the characteristics of each).
Older male workers aged 55 to 69 years with occupational pension cover were in their occupational pension scheme longer than females of similar age. Half (50%) had spent 20 years or more in their occupational pension scheme, compared with just 41% of females in the same age group.
Pension Coverage by Broad Occupation Group/Economic Sector
Analysis of pension coverage by broad occupational groups shows that workers whose occupation was classified as Professionals had the highest pension coverage rate at 85%, whereas just 44% of workers in the Skilled Trades and Caring, Leisure & Other Services occupational groups had pension coverage. The economic sectors of Public Administration & Defence and Compulsory Social Security had the highest pension coverage in Q3 2025 (95%), while the lowest coverage was in the Accommodation & Food Service Activities sector (24%).
Reasons Given for Having No Supplementary Pension
Of employees who had no supplementary pension cover in 2025, almost half (49%) stated they never got around to organising it or would organise it at a future date, up from 43% in 2024. Almost four in ten (39%) said that they could not afford a pension, up from 30% of workers with no pension cover in 2024.
Analysis by age group shows that affordability was by far the main reason for people aged 55 to 69 years, not having any form of pension cover (58%), up from 48% in 2024. For younger workers aged 20 to 24 years, the main reason was they never got around to organising it or would set one up at a future date (69%).
For workers (including self-employed), the State Pension was cited as the expected main source of income on retirement for more than half (52%) of people with no pension coverage, unchanged from 2024, while just over one-quarter (26%) had not yet decided on this issue. Some 6% of older people aged 55 to 69 years had not yet decided on their main source of income on retirement.
Planned Government Auto-Enrolment Scheme
Awareness of and intent to participate in the Government Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme increased in 2025. At an overall level, some 42% of workers were aware of the Government scheme, up from 28% of workers in 2024. Of respondents who will be eligible to be automatically enrolled in the Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings, nearly half (45%) were aware of the retirement savings scheme (up from 29% of eligible workers in 2024), and of these, 77% whose current employer does not offer pension cover said they would stay in the scheme if automatically enrolled in it. The scheme, introduced in 2026, is aimed at workers aged between 23 and 60 with no occupational pension cover from their current employer.”