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The 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index placed the UAE retirement income system at an overall score of 70, lifting the country from a C-plus grade in 2025 when it stood at 64.9. A Marsh CFA Institute assessment found the system earned A grades in adequacy with 84.9 points, up from 79.4, and in integrity at 80.8, improved from 75.5. The sustainability sub-index scored 45.3, according to the report released October 20 that evaluated 55 systems covering 66 percent of the global population.
Adequacy gains stemmed from a higher minimum pension as a percentage of average wages alongside updated national data on retirement coverage, the index showed. Integrity improvements reflected better responses to retirement transition requirements and revised household debt figures, a Marsh CFA Institute assessment found. The UAE ranked among five systems worldwide that improved their overall grade this year, joining Australia, Oman, Panama and China.
Within the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia led regional scores at 73.2 followed by Kuwait at 72.9, the UAE at 70.0, Oman at 69.9 and Qatar at 66.0, according to the index. The Marsh CFA Institute report noted that the UAE and Oman both moved from C-plus to B while Saudi Arabia and Kuwait held their B ratings. Global top performers included the Netherlands at 85.8, Denmark at 84.1 and Iceland at 84.0, all retaining A grades.
The General Pension and Social Security Authority described the index as a key international benchmark that supports ongoing development of the UAE retirement-income system. Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023 on Pension and Social Security contributed to the progress along with expanded digital services and initiatives to boost financial literacy, GPSSA figures show. The authority has promoted early retirement planning through programs that include the Wafra financial literacy effort and the Balanced Step guidance initiative.
GPSSA processed more than 190,000 Emirati registrations under the pension system by September 2026, a 13.6 percent increase from the previous year, authority data places the total at 190,063. Private sector registrations accounted for the majority of the 44,760 transactions handled in the first nine months of the year, GPSSA reported. The authority’s Ma’ashi digital platform has simplified access to advisory services and record updates for eligible citizens.
The Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index reported a 1.1-point rise in the global average score compared with 2025 while highlighting strains from aging populations and lower birth rates across the 55 systems reviewed. Kuwait achieved the highest adequacy score worldwide at 88.3 while Finland led integrity at 90.5 and Denmark topped sustainability, the assessment found. The index combines weighted sub-indices with economic, social and demographic factors to evaluate each retirement system.
