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AARP: 1/3 betrachtet Rentensystem mit Optimismus

USA - 29.07.2005 - von aarp

Eine Studie der weltweit größten Lobby für Menschen über 50, AARP, hat in zehn Industrienationen untersucht, mit welchen Erwartungen die BürgerInnen in ihre Rentenzukunft blicken.

New AARP International Retirement Survey Reveals Tempered Personal Optimism, Scant Confidence in Government Ability to Deliver on Pension, Health Care Promises
News Release
July 19, 2005

A guarded optimism towards retirement security was expressed by some 4,000 respondents age 30 to 65 from ten developed nations in a new international public opinion survey released today by AARP's Global Aging Program. At the same time, survey respondents' confidence in government's ability to provide benefits was alarmingly low.

The goal of the study is to provide policy makers, elected officials and non-governmental organizations with a better understanding of attitudes and behaviors surrounding personal and national retirement issues, while assessing the public's confidence in having sufficient income to retire comfortably and live securely after leaving the workforce.

The findings suggest that while tempered optimism was the predominant outlook, none of the industrialized countries have escaped concerns about retirement security in some form. Only 16% of those surveyed were very optimistic, although another 41% were at least somewhat optimistic. However, the survey also found two in five (39%) were either somewhat or very pessimistic. Optimism varied by geographic and demographic factors.

"This survey should serve as an important message to political leaders to address their citizens' concerns now, rather than down the road," said AARP CEO Bill Novelli. Despite the expectation of at least some government support in retirement income and health care, residents of all of the countries surveyed consistently reported lack of confidence in the ability of their governments to provide these benefits in the future. Confidence in government ability to pay public pensions to today's retirees rated only 5.0 on a 10-point scale. Trust in government ability to pay future benefits drops to an average of only 3.9. Trust in government delivery of retiree health care benefits today averages 4.5 and drops to 3.8 when respondents look to the future.

On the whole, respondents said they did not feel very well informed about the things they need for a happy and successful retirement. Only one in four (25%) rated their level of information at an "8" or more on a 10-point scale. The survey report concludes that governments and other stakeholders will have to make a genuine effort to promote greater understanding of retirement security issues.

Australians and Canadians were found to be the most optimistic about their retirement, while only slightly over one-third of Germans, French and Italians claim optimism about retirement. Employment status, income, age, marital status and education impact attitudes about retirement.

While those surveyed expressed at least guarded optimism about their security in retirement, a surprising one in five (17%) respondents had given no thought at all to retirement planning. However, one in four (25%) have given it a lot of thought, with another 33% giving it some thought.

Citizens in two countries, Germany and the United States, have given retirement the most thought. Respondents in Italy, Sweden and France have devoted the least thought to retirement issues.

Respondents believe that while government, employers and individuals share some responsibility for providing retirement security, government bears primary responsibility. Over four in five individuals (81%) are counting on public pensions as a source of income when they retire. Queried on their expected sources of income in retirement, two in five (42%) respondents said they expect public pensions to be a major source of their income. A similar number (39%) expect them to be minor source of income. These findings occur despite the current debate about financial and demographic pressures on public pension systems.

After public pensions, employer-provided/occupational pensions (28%), earnings from employment (26%), workplace retirement savings programs (26%) and other personal savings (25%) are cited most commonly as major retirement income sources.

Citizens' overall state of health and access to affordable quality health care also contribute to confidence about retirement and quality of life in retirement. Half (50%) of those surveyed rated their health as either excellent or very good. Another 31% rated their health as good. Australians led the list with self-reported health status as excellent or very good while Italians, Germans, Japanese and the French were significantly less positive about their health.

As with retirement income, respondents believe that government-sponsored health care programs will play the primary role in funding their health care cost during retirement. Almost one-half of all respondents (47%) feel these programs will pay for all or most of their health care in retirement.

"Clearly, retirement security is a shared responsibility among government, individuals, and employers," said Novelli. "While future retirees are still somewhat optimistic, nations have an opportunity to educate their citizens about retirement security and find solutions that close the gaps between available retirement funding and future needs. In doing so, they will also increase the public's confidence in their ability to address these issues," he concluded.

The poll of a total of 4,011 respondents age 30-65 in ten countries was conducted for the AARP Global Aging Program by Harris Interactive between May 9 and June 2, 2005. Interviews were representative of the demographic distribution age 30-65 in each country. The ten countries included the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands. Four hundred randomly selected respondents were surveyed in each country. Interviews were all completed via computer-assisted telephone interviewing in the country's native language. The margin of error for the survey is a little over one percent for the total survey, and five percent for each country individually.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Link: http://www.altersdiskriminierung.de/themen/artikel.php?ID=1008
Quelle: http://www.aarp.org/international