Putting enough money aside for retirement is an important part of your long-term financial planning while you are still working. This will typically include making pension contributions.
However, new data suggests the average pension pot differs greatly depending on where in the UK you live.
Analysis by PensionBee found that while the average pension saver in the UK has a typical pot of around £21,875, there is a huge regional disparity in the size of pension pots, with a more than £12,000 gap between the region that saves the most and least.
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Which UK region has the highest pension pot?
The UK region that has the highest average pension pot is the South East, where average pension savings stand at £27,727 per person.
While this number may seem low at first glance, this is because it includes all people below state pension age, so is heavily skewed by younger savers who have comparatively little in their pension pots. We look at the average pension pot by age in a separate piece.
Meanwhile, the neighbouring region of London has the second-highest average pension pot in the UK, at £25,838.
It is no surprise that London and the South East outperform the rest of the UK, as the UK economy is heavily dependent on the capital and the people who commute from neighbouring regions to work there.
Workers in London and the South East are also paid far more on average than their peers elsewhere in the country, with both regions having the highest average earnings of all UK regions.
The region with the third-highest average pension pot is the South West, where pension savers have a typical pot of £21,344.
The fourth-highest average pension pot is in the East Midlands and East of England, standing at a typical value of £19,476, and the fifth highest pension pot is in the West Midlands, with an average value of £19,321.
Where in the UK has the lowest average pension pot?
A strong divide between regions in the south of England and those outside it emerges when looking at average pension savings across the UK.
The UK region that has the lowest average pension pot is Northern Ireland, where the typical person has just £15,118 saved for their retirement, more than £12,000 less than the average saver in the South East.
Not only is the average pension pot in Northern Ireland far below the UK average of £21,875, it is also significantly below the other regions with the lowest average pension pots.
The region with the second-lowest pension pot is the North West, where savers have an average of £17,082 ready for retirement. While this is certainly not a high number, it is still almost £2,000 more than the average pension pot in Northern Ireland.
People in Wales and the North East and Yorkshire also tend to have small pension pots compared to the national average, at £17,435 and £17,957, respectively.
Finally, the UK region with the fifth-lowest average pension pot is Scotland, where the typical saver has £19,113 in a pension for their golden years. While this figure remains below the national average, it is significantly higher than the four poorer-performing regions on the list.
Average pension pot by region: The full list
Region | Amount |
|---|---|
South East | 27,727 |
London | 25,838 |
South West | 21,344 |
East Midlands | 19,476 |
West Midlands | 19,321 |
Scotland | 19,113 |
North East and Yorkshire | 17,957 |
Wales | 17,435 |
North West | 17,082 |
Northern Ireland | £15,118 |
Source: PensionBee, August 2025
Are you saving enough for your pension?
If reading the above statistics has made you reconsider whether you're saving enough in your pensions, there are ways to work out if you need to boost your pension pot.
Brits aged 65 to 74 have an average pension pot of around £145,900, according to the ONS, but some groups warn that this may not be enough to live comfortably on.
To have a ‘minimum standard’ retirement, trade association Pensions UK says retirees will need an annual income of either £13,400 for a single person household or £21,600 for a two person household.
While this will cover some basic needs and even leave you with a bit of disposable income, it is far from an ideal level of pension wealth.
To enjoy a comfortable retirement, Pensions UK says retirees in a single person household will need an income of £43,900. For a two-person household, it’s £60,600.
While the full new state pension currently stands at £11,973 a year, this will still leave some pension savers short of Pensions UK’s comfortable benchmark. To make sure you are not among them, you can take steps to grow your pension wealth.
For instance, workers could potentially add thousands of pounds to their pots while making little difference to their monthly income, by increasing their pension contributions by 2%.
Another option is salary sacrifice, which can help you save more while also minimising how much of your taxable income is taken away by the taxman.
