Asian Pension Funds - Articles & White Papers

This study presents a range of indicators to enable comparisons between the pension systems of economies in the Asia/Pacific region. It also includes data for the larger countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This annual statistical report provides an overview on retirement savings and outlines the latest developments in the pension sector worldwide. It includes an extensive range of financial indicators on funded and private pension plans, as well as on the proportion of the population covered by such plans, the amount of…

The Global Pension Assets Study estimates global pension fund assets across 22 major pension markets (the P22). These geographies now stand at US$47.9 trillion in pension assets and account for 62% of the GDP of these economies. The study, conducted by WTW and the Thinking Ahead Institute since the 1990s, includes an…

This piece is authored by the esteemed William Forsyth Sharpe, one of the originators of the capital asset pricing model. Sharpe discusses the retirement funding issues of today's pension funds.

Total gross financial assets in Asia reached a new record high, but the share of life and pension assets in private households’ portfolios kept declining. Asia’s old-age dependency ratio set to more than double until mid-century. Tax-incentives and subsidies to reverse the decline in popularity of private, capital-funded…

Retirement security in Asia is affected by more than its aging populations; the region’s traditional family support structure is changing as well. We partnered with the Sau Po Centre on Ageing at The University of Hong Kong, to look at evolving family structures across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan—and steps…

The Global Pension Report analyzes 75 pension schemes around the globe using its own Allianz Pension Index (API). The indicator consists of three pillars: analysis of the demographic and fiscal situation and determination of the sustainability (e.g. financing and contribution periods) and adequacy (e.g. degree of prevalence…

Inflation has reached levels not seen in the last four decades in most OECD countries, hitting disproportionally the most vulnerable, low-income households. This policy brief discusses how high levels of price inflation challenge pensions.

The OECD Pensions Outlook discusses how to introduce, develop and strengthen asset-backed pension arrangements, the role that employers can play in their provision, and the implication of different fee structures on individuals saving for retirement and on providers. The 2022 edition focuses on describing best practices for…

In September 2022, interest rates in the UK gilt market rose sharply. The steep rise in interest rates caused UK corporate pension funds to face additional margin calls that exceeded their cash reserves, resulting in a temporary liquidity crunch. The reason was that UK corporate pension funds, due in part to a search for…

Global Pension Finance Watch, published quarterly, reviews how capital market performance affects defined benefit pension plan financing in major retirement markets worldwide, with a focus on linked asset/liability results. We cover defined benefit pension plans in Brazil, Canada, the Eurozone, Japan, Switzerland, the U.K.…

This report analyses the development of mortality assumptions to build mortality tables to better protect retirement income provision. Mortality assumptions are necessary to ensure the sustainability of lifetime incomes. It explores considerations and traditional approaches for developing mortality tables, as well as…

Constructive discussions in engagements and dialogue guided by climate science, will call for investors exercising responsible stewardship to consider how they use their ownership rights to influence a company’s decision making process. Approaches in different jurisdictions will vary, but global momentum for engagement…

Although there was still notable movement to both discount rates and asset performance over the course of the quarter, Q4 2022 was less volatile than others this year.

Investment Director Masahiko Loo explores the risks of Japan facing a UK-style pension crisis and identifies fundamental reasons that make Japanese pension funds inherently less vulnerable.