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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

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Towers Watson

Global Pensions Asset Study - 2012 [30 January 2012]

http://www.towerswatson.com/assets/pdf/6267/Global-Pensions-Asset-Study-2012.pdf

[full-text, 40 pages]

This is a study of the 13 largest pension markets in the world and accounts for more than 85% of global pension assets. The countries included are Australia, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

The study also analyses seven countries in greater depth by excluding the six smallest markets (Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong and South Africa).

The analysis includes:

Asset size, including growth statistics, comparison of asset size with GDP and liabilities

Asset allocation

Defined benefit and defined contribution share of pension assets

Public and private sector share of pension assets.

Press Release 30 January 2012

Global Pension Fund Assets Hit Record High in 2011

But global pensions balance sheet weakened by burgeoning liabilities

http://www.towerswatson.com/press/6313

LONDON and NEW YORK, 30 January, 2012 - Global institutional pension fund assets in the 13 major markets grew by 4% during 2011 to reach a new high of US$28 trillion, up from US$26 trillion in 2010 according to Towers Watson’s Global Pension Assets Study released today. The growth is the continuation of a trend which started in 2009 when assets grew 17%, and in sharp contrast to a 21% fall during 2008 which took assets back to 2006 levels. Global pension fund assets have now grown at over  6% on average per annum (in USD) since 2001, when they were valued at US$15 trillion.

The study reveals that, despite the growth in assets, pension fund balance sheets1 weakened globally during 2011, with the ratio of global assets to liabilities well down from its peak achieved in 1999. According to the study, pension assets now amount to 72% of global GDP, which while lower than in 2010 (76%) is substantially higher than the 61% recorded in 2008.

AND MUCH MORE...

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