Kronberg im Taunus – October 29, 2026 -- Nearly one in five people in Germany (18 percent) has never talked about their own retirement provision, according to the new Retirement Conversation Gap Study from Fidelity International.
Many respondents would pick an unpopular chore instead: 30 percent would rather do their tax return, 28 percent would rather go for a preventive health check-up, and 25 percent would rather have a dental check-up.
Talking about retirement is linked to feeling prepared
Among respondents who had a concrete conversation about retirement provision in the past twelve months, 46.5 percent feel financially well prepared for retirement. Among those whose last such conversation was longer ago, or who have never had one, the figure is 20.2 percent, less than half as many.
Of those who had such a conversation, 76 percent call it helpful. In addition, 74.1 percent know their next sensible step, compared with 43.7 percent of those without a recent conversation.
Susanna Wooders, Country Head Germany at Fidelity International, urges people to start with three questions: what they can expect to have in old age, how much they will need, and whether their current provision covers it.
Almost half of those who know the new retirement account misjudge it
Knowledge gaps remain around the new state-subsidised Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD), a retirement savings account. Among respondents who know the AVD, 47.6 percent wrongly believe that paid-in contributions must be fully guaranteed when the payout phase begins.
Fidelity argues that dropping a mandatory contribution guarantee allows more investment in capital markets and higher equity allocations. Jan Schepanek, head of Fidelity's retail business in Germany, calls this the main opportunity of the AVD.
The AVD is also prompting conversations: 13.8 percent of respondents who recently discussed their retirement provision cite news or information about it as a trigger.
The survey covered 2,502 people aged 18 to 65
Censuswide surveyed 2,502 people in Germany online on behalf of Fidelity International. Respondents were aged 18 to 65 and not yet permanently retired. Homemakers and people who have never worked were excluded, so the sample is not representative of Germany's overall population.