Generation X is heading towards retirement with “worryingly low” levels of preparedness, warns PensionBee.
According to PensionBee’s 2025 Pension Landscape report, savers over 50 have significantly smaller pension pots than they need. On average, women hold £30,644, while men hold £54,512.
The pension provider said the figures highlight how many Generation X savers, particularly women, are entering retirement without the financial resilience to support later life.
The generation is the least prepared for retirement across all age groups, raising fears they could be the first generation to face significantly lower financial security than their predecessors.
PensionBee said a combination of factors have made pension saving more challenging for Generation X, including entering the workforce during downturns, stagnant wages and living through repeated financial shocks including the global financial crisis.
They have also become the “sandwich generation”, responsible for supporting both ageing parents and children.
PensionBee warned that without targeted support, Generation X risks being overlooked and forced to navigate retirement with fewer resources than the generations around them.
Maike Currie, VP of personal finance at PensionBee, said: “Generation X has been squeezed from every angle, sandwiched between caring for ageing parents and supporting children, all while weathering repeated economic shocks.
“It’s little wonder that pensions have slipped down their priority list. Unless we act now, Gen X could become the first generation to retire worse off than the one before. That should be a wake up call for policymakers and the industry to provide the tools, support and flexibility this overlooked generation urgently needs.”
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