UAE Pension System Achieves Significant International Recognition
The Emirates has demonstrated considerable advancement in global retirement-income assessments, with its pension system securing enhanced grades across multiple evaluation categories.
The United Arab Emirates has achieved noteworthy progress within the 2026 Global Pension Index, a comprehensive international assessment of retirement-income systems published by Marsh and CFA Institute. The nation’s performance reflects substantive improvements across key metrics, with the overall score ascending from 64.9 in 2025 to 70.0 in 2026, whilst the grade classification advanced from C+ to B, signifying enhanced robustness within the pension framework.
Particularly commendable is the system’s attainment of an A grade in both the adequacy and integrity categories, demonstrating the inherent strength of pension benefits provision and the comprehensive protections extended to insured members throughout the Emirates.
The Global Pension Index conducts rigorous assessments of retirement systems through three principal pillars: adequacy, sustainability and integrity, whilst simultaneously considering an extensive array of economic, social and demographic factors that collectively influence pension system performance.
The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) has underscored the significance of this international benchmark as a vital instrument supporting the continued refinement and development of the UAE’s retirement-income architecture. The Authority has emphasised that strengthening systemic sustainability remains an enduring national priority, fundamentally focused upon safeguarding the rights and interests of both insured members and pensioners in the present whilst simultaneously ensuring the system’s capacity to serve succeeding generations with equal efficacy.
The pension system has undergone considerable evolution in recent years, encompassing significant legislative and administrative enhancements. These developments include the issuance of Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023 on Pension and Social Security, complemented by progressive expansion of digital service offerings and concerted endeavours to enhance financial literacy and facilitate early retirement planning amongst the population.
The GPSSA remains dedicated to supporting citizens in their financial preparation through an array of carefully designed initiatives. The Wafra programme promotes comprehensive financial literacy, whilst the Balanced Step programme delivers personalised financial guidance. These offerings are further complemented by dedicated Pension Advisory Services and accessible digital facilities available through the GPSSA’s Ma’ashi platform, ensuring citizens possess the requisite tools and knowledge to secure their financial futures.
The Authority has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting thorough reviews of the Index findings and recommendations in close coordination with relevant government entities, leveraging these insights to foster continued development of the pension and social security system, enhance service delivery, and reinforce pension sustainability for contemporary and future generations alike.
Source: WAM