How Much Pension Do I Need to Retire in the UK?
The PLSA says a comfortable single retirement costs £43,100/yr. Here's the pension pot that produces that.
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association publishes annual retirement living standards. 2025 figures for a single person outside London:
PLSA standards (single, outside London)
Minimum: £14,400/yr — covers essentials, one UK holiday, no car.
Moderate: £31,700/yr — small car every 7 years, two-week European holiday.
Comfortable: £43,100/yr — newer car, three weeks abroad, theatre.
What pot do you need?
Using the 4% rule and including the full state pension (~£11,973/yr in 2025/26):
Minimum: roughly £61,000 pot (state pension alone almost covers it).
Moderate: roughly £494,000 pot.
Comfortable: roughly £778,000 pot.
Reality check
The average UK pension pot at retirement is £107,000 (FCA, 2023). Most people will need to either save much more from now or work past 67.
Estimate how big your pension pot will be at retirement and how much sustainable monthly income it could produce.
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