WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans who have already retired continue to be far more likely to say they are financially comfortable than nonretirees expect to be when they stop working. More than four in five retirees (82%) say they have enough money to live comfortably, but less than half of nonretirees (45%) expect the same when they retire, continuing a pattern that stretches back to 2002.
The current 37-percentage-point gap between what retirees report and what nonretirees expect has expanded in the past two years and is currently the second largest in Gallup’s trend.
The latest data are from Gallup's Economy and Personal Finance poll, which was conducted April 1-15.
Nonretirees' confidence in their retirement financial situation differs greatly based on their life circumstances, according to combined 2025 and 2026 data. Those with a higher income, college degree and retirement savings are significantly more confident than their counterparts about their financial future.
Seven in 10 Nonretirees Worried About Retirement Finances
The April poll also finds 69% of nonretirees saying they are very or moderately worried about not having enough money in retirement, compared with 39% of retirees. Nonretirees' worry about meeting their retirement income needs ties the recent high point recorded in 2022 but remains below the trend high of 73% in 2010. At the same time, retirees' worry about outliving their savings is near the average for the 25-year trend.
Majorities of nonretirees across most key demographic subgroups are at least moderately worried about not having enough money for retirement, though concern is highest among those with the least financial footing. Combined data from 2025 and 2026 show 82% of nonretirees with a household income below $40,000 are worried, compared with 55% of those in households earning $100,000 or more. Having a retirement savings plan offers some reassurance, but not much — 64% of nonretirees with a plan are still worried, compared with 72% of those without.
Expected and Actual Sources of Retirement Income Differ
Retirees and nonretirees also differ over their retirement income sources. Social Security is a major source of retirement income for 62% of current retirees, tying last year’s record high and far outpacing all other income sources. A work-sponsored pension plan ranks second for retirees, at 37%, followed by a 401(k), IRA, Keogh or other retirement savings account at 27% and equity from their home at 22%. No more than 13% of retirees report any other main income sources.
In contrast, 36% of nonretirees expect Social Security to be a major source of retirement income, while nearly half, 48%, expect a 401(k), IRA or similar retirement savings account to be one, making it their top expected source. Smaller shares of nonretirees project that equity from their home (24%), savings accounts (22%), part-time work (21%), a work-sponsored pension plan (20%), and stock or mutual fund investments (19%) will be major income sources for them.
There is an 18-point gap between retirees’ actual and nonretirees’ reports that income from a part-time job is or will be a major income source for them in retirement, with just 3% of retirees saying it is for them.
Nearly three in five currently employed Americans, 58%, say they plan to keep working part time when they reach retirement age. More of these expected part-time workers say they want to work than say they will have to (36% vs. 21%, respectively). Meanwhile, one-quarter of employed adults plan to stop working altogether in retirement. These readings have been generally stable in the four instances that Gallup has measured them since 2011.
The Retirement Age Gap Persists
Nonretirees' plans to keep working align with the fact that they expect to retire later than previous generations did. Nonretirees expect to retire at age 66, on average, five years later than the average age at which current retirees say they actually retired. Nonretirees' expected retirement age has edged up from 63 since 2002, while retirees' actual retirement age has ranged narrowly between 59 and 62 over the same period.
Bottom Line
The persistent gap between retirees' financial comfort and nonretirees' expectations points to a retirement landscape that looks uncertain for those well below retirement age. Nonretirees are less likely than retirees to count on Social Security being a major income source in retirement and more likely to expect to rely on personal savings accounts and part-time work. As the expected retirement age continues to rise, the question of whether Americans will have both the financial resources and the ability to work as long as they plan to remains an open one.
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