To eradicate old-age poverty and drive sustainable economic growth.

In this paper, we present a novel idea to address issues faced by pension systems in developing and emerging economies: direct funding of pensions through international aid. In our system, aid from domestic and international donors would be used to finance matching contributions, thereby increasing the capital saved for retirement and simultaneously incentivising individuals to save. Furthermore, aid would directly arrive in a worker’s retirement savings account without passing through government budgets, allowing for strong transparency and the ability to “follow the money” by both donors and recipients. We believe that this idea addresses some of the key shortcomings of past pension policies, as well as protects pension savings from changing government priorities.

This new paper is a revision from a previous publication from the Coller Pensions Institute in November 2023.

In this paper, we present a solution-oriented idea to combine the building of a resilient pension system and the privatization of state assets: privatization through pension funds. Many countries face the challenge of establishing or developing retirement systems while seeking to professionalize the management of state assets. Under the right conditions, privatization through pension funds can contribute to both outcomes and should be considered by policymakers. The key difference to the traditional privatization of state assets is that this idea would keep ownership of the asset with the population and spread the profit among a country’s population in the form of future retirement income. Privatization through pension funds, therefore, constitutes a form of democratization of a nation’s wealth.

In this paper, the UK pension system is examined, highlighting its significant challenges, including high fragmentation, low contribution rates, insufficient state pensions, and inadequate coverage for specific demographic groups. The paper traces the historical evolution of pensions, particularly the shift from Defined Benefit (DB) to Defined Contribution (DC) schemes, and discusses the impact of global financial crises. It advocates for comprehensive reforms such as consolidating pension schemes, increasing contribution rates, and fostering domestic investment. The authors also propose a more strategic, purpose-driven system to ensure financial security. This draft will be updated with a final paper before the end of 2024.

In this paper, the UK pension system is analysed, highlighting its position as the third largest globally in terms of total assets but facing significant challenges compared to other countries. The paper explores the system’s reliance on defined benefit schemes, higher exposure to bonds, and relatively low investment in the UK economy. It also identifies key issues such as low workplace pension contributions, the insufficiency of state pensions, an aging population, and fragmented funds. Solutions tested in other geographies are proposed, including pension fund consolidation, increasing state pensions, and enhancing minimum contributions.