Spotlight
Employee workplace pensions in the UK: 2021 provisional and 2020 final results
What's in the bulletin?
- The workplace pension participation rate in the UK was at 79% (22.6 million employees) in April 2021, up slightly from 78% in 2020; a growth partly explained by increased public sector employment driven by the government's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- In April 2021, the gap in employee workplace pension participation rates between the public (91%) and private sectors (75%) was among its lowest levels, mainly driven by increased participation in the private sector up from 32% in 2012.
- Employee participation in workplace pensions reflects the automatic enrolment (AE) age (aged 22 to 65 years) eligibility; in April 2021, around 8 in 10 eligible employees had a pension compared with 2 in 10 employees aged 16 to 21 years, and 4 in 10 aged 65 years and over.
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Saving for retirement in Great Britain: April 2018 to March 2020
What's in the bulletin?
- Between April 2018 and March 2020, more people below State Pension age (57%) were actively saving for retirement using private pensions than before automatic enrolment was introduced in 2012 (43%); however, there was still much inequality in pensions wealth in Great Britain.
- Among working-aged people yet to retire, those who were self-employed (compared with employees), had a long-standing illness or disability (compared with no disability), or were from minority ethnic groups, had lower pension wealth on average than their counterparts because of lower participation rates and smaller pension pots.
- Almost a third of people did not expect to have any pension provision beyond the State Pension when they retired.
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Pension participation at record high but contributions cluster at minimum levels
The introduction of automatic enrolment in 2012 has led to a surge in defined contribution pensions, ONS data has shown.
Datasets related to Workplace pensions
Pension type by age group and gross weekly earnings bands: Table P1
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in each pension type and contracted-out status (prior to 2016), by age group and gross weekly earnings bands.
Pension type by industry and gross weekly earnings bands: Table P2
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in each pension type and contracted-out status (prior to 2016), by Standard Industrial Classification (including public and private sector breakdown) and gross weekly earnings bands.
Pension type by occupation and gross weekly earnings bands: Table P3
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in each pension type and contracted-out status (prior to 2016), by Standard Occupational Classification and gross weekly earnings bands.
Pension type by size of business and gross weekly earnings bands: Table P4
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in each pension type and contracted-out status (prior to 2016), by size of company and gross weekly earnings bands.
Employee contribution bands by age group and pension type: Table P5
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in employee contribution bands, by age group and by contracted-out status (prior to 2016) and pension type.
Employee contribution bands by industry and pension type: Table P6
Annual estimates of the proportion of UK employees in employee contribution bands, by Standard Industrial Classification (including public and private sector breakdown) and by contracted-out status (prior to 2016) and pension type.
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Publications related to Workplace pensions
Statistical bulletins
Saving for retirement in Great Britain: April 2018 to March 2020
Private pension wealth in Great Britain, April 2018 to March 2020, taken from the seventh round of the Wealth and Assets Survey.
Employee workplace pensions in the UK: 2021 provisional and 2020 final results
Membership to workplace pension arrangements for UK employees, using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
Occupational Pension Schemes Survey, UK: 2018
The nature of occupational pension provision in the UK providing summary data from the Occupational Pension Schemes Survey on membership of schemes and contributions paid.
MQ5: Investment by insurance companies, pension funds and trusts: October to December 2018
Investment choices of financial institutions based on financial transactions (investments and disinvestments), including balance sheet data for short-term assets and liabilities, and income and expenditure data.
View all related statistical bulletins
Articles
Contracting out of Private Sector Defined Benefit Pension Schemes
The latest information on membership and contributions, by contracted out status, is presented for private sector defined benefit occupational schemes. The story focuses on 2013, but also provides active membership details for 2008 to 2013 inclusive.
Pension Trends
Contributions to private (non-state) pensions. Private pensions considered are: occupational schemes for private sector and public sector employees; and personal pensions, including group personal and stakeholder pensions.
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