Less than half of non-retired Canadians have workplace pension plan: report

Samples of various employee benefits brochures are shown in a photo illustration, in Toronto. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini)

WINNIPEG — A new report says less than half of non-retirees in Canada have a workplace pension plan.

IG Wealth Management’s annual retirement study says a generational shift is re-shaping how Canadians approach retirement as 48 per cent of non-retirees have a workplace pension plan, whether it be a defined-benefit or defined-contribution plan.

The report notes many are struggling to keep up with the change as only 11 per cent of non-retired Canadians say they know how much annual income they will need in retirement, while 49 per cent say they simply do not know at all.

It also says only one-third of non-retired Canadians have a retirement plan and savings.

The online survey of 1,350 Canadian adults was done by Pollara Strategic Insights, on behalf of IG Wealth Management, between Jan. 9 and to 14.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2026.