Key Takeaways
- • The Netherlands ranks 1st in the Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2026 with an A grade and a score of 85.8, ahead of Denmark (84.1) and Iceland (84.0).
- • Six of the top 10 retirement systems in the 55-system index are European, and six systems in the full index earn an A grade, all of which appear in this selection.
- • The index weights adequacy at 40%, sustainability at 35% and integrity at 25%, judging each system as a whole rather than individual pension payments.
- • Singapore (82.0, 4th) leads Asia and the non-European systems, with an integrity score of 90.4, among the highest in the index.
- • The U.S. is not among the 10 systems covered; a separate Natixis Global Retirement Index 2026 ranks it 24th of 25, but its results are not comparable with the Marsh CFA ranking.
Summary
Quartz, reporting on the Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2026, covers the top 10 of 55 retirement systems ranked by the index, with scores from 0 to 100 and letter grades. Per the article, only six systems in the full index earn an A, and all six appear in this selection. Three measures drive each score: adequacy (40%), sustainability (35%) and integrity (25%), with integrity covering regulation, governance and transparency. The index measures how many people a system covers, how much they save, whether it can last and how well it is run, and it does not compare individual pension payments.
The Netherlands holds the top spot with an A grade and a score of 85.8, placing in the top three for both adequacy and sustainability. Denmark ranks 2nd at 84.1 and posts the highest sustainability score in the index, while Iceland ranks 3rd at 84.0. Singapore's Central Provident Fund system ranks 4th at 82.0, the highest-placed system outside Europe, and Israel ranks 5th at 81.9. Australia, which moved into the A group in 2026, ranks 6th at 80.6 on the strength of mandatory superannuation. Chile leads the B+ group at 7th with 79.2, the highest in the Americas, with an integrity score of 88.2. Sweden ranks 8th at 78.8, Finland 9th at 77.6 and Norway 10th at 77.0.
Six of the 10 systems are European, although the continent is not uniform: Italy ranks 41st at 57.4 and Türkiye 54th at 46.6. The article notes that the U.S. is not among the 10 systems covered. A separate Natixis Global Retirement Index 2026, which uses 18 indicators and a different methodology, ranks the U.S. 24th of 25 and Norway 1st; its results are not comparable with the Marsh CFA ranking.
The Netherlands holds the top spot with an A grade and a score of 85.8, placing in the top three for both adequacy and sustainability. Denmark ranks 2nd at 84.1 and posts the highest sustainability score in the index, while Iceland ranks 3rd at 84.0. Singapore's Central Provident Fund system ranks 4th at 82.0, the highest-placed system outside Europe, and Israel ranks 5th at 81.9. Australia, which moved into the A group in 2026, ranks 6th at 80.6 on the strength of mandatory superannuation. Chile leads the B+ group at 7th with 79.2, the highest in the Americas, with an integrity score of 88.2. Sweden ranks 8th at 78.8, Finland 9th at 77.6 and Norway 10th at 77.0.
Six of the 10 systems are European, although the continent is not uniform: Italy ranks 41st at 57.4 and Türkiye 54th at 46.6. The article notes that the U.S. is not among the 10 systems covered. A separate Natixis Global Retirement Index 2026, which uses 18 indicators and a different methodology, ranks the U.S. 24th of 25 and Norway 1st; its results are not comparable with the Marsh CFA ranking.
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