Retirement Savings Statistics (2026)

According to the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, the average American family has $333,940 in retirement savings, but the median is just $87,000. The large gap between the two means a relatively small number of high savers pull the average up, so the median is the more realistic figure for a typical household.

The bigger story is how many people have nothing set aside. Roughly 46% of Americans report no retirement savings at all, and about 43% of working-age adults have no balance in a 401(k), IRA, or defined-benefit plan.

Balances climb steadily with age before dipping in retirement as people begin to draw down. Fed data shows averages of about $49,130 for households under 35, $141,520 for ages 35 to 44, $313,220 for 45 to 54, $537,560 for 55 to 64, and a peak near $609,230 for ages 65 to 74.

As with the overall figures, these averages overstate what a typical household in each band actually holds; medians are considerably lower.

Among workplace plans, Vanguard's How America Saves report puts the average 401(k) balance at $167,970 and the median at just $44,115, again showing how skewed the average is.

The behavior underneath is improving: the average participant savings rate reached an all-time high of 12.1%, and plan participation among eligible employees climbed to a record 86%, helped by automatic enrollment.

Despite thin balances, sentiment holds up: the EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey found 67% of workers and 78% of retirees feel at least somewhat confident they will have enough to live comfortably.

Social Security remains the backbone for most retirees. The average monthly benefit for a retired worker is around $2,000, and benefits rose 2.8% for 2026 through the annual cost-of-living adjustment.