Comparing Retirement Income Systems Through an Index

Abstract

There is a great variety of retirement income systems around the world, but which ones are producing good outcomes? Which ones are sustainable into the future? The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index considers more than forty indicators in calculating an index value for the systems in eleven countries spread over five continents. In this first-ever broad-based comparison, none of the eleven countries receive an ‘A’ grade. At the other end of the quality spectrum, none receive a failing ‘E’ either. However, the actual grade range from ‘B’ to ‘D’ reflects material differences in the quality of the eleven retirement income systems as measured by the Index.

Keywords: Adequacy, Pension Fund, Pension Reform, Pension Systems, Pillars, Saving, Sustainability