Canadian pension landscape
Canada's pension wealth, including all three components noted below, reached $3.5 trillion at the end of
2015 (according to Statistics Canada Pension Satellite Account, 2015). This includes $631 billion in assets
held by about 15,900 private employer-based plans which provide retirement protection for more than 3
million Canadians.
Innovative solutions
Employers offering DB pensions transferred $2.6 billion of pension risk (longevity and/or
investment) to life insurers in 2016. The trend toward de-risking pension plans is anticipated to
accelerate as employers increasingly reduce risk and focus on their core business.
CLHIA continues to work with governments to expand the availability of flexible, low-cost savings
options (like Pooled Registered Pension Plans) and secure retirement income opportunities for
all Canadians.
-
$25B
$30B
$35B
$40B
$45B
$50B
$43.5B in retirement benefits
Retirement benefits grew at an
average annual rate of 5% over the
past decade
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
11
Private
(Employer-based plans)
Personal
(RRSPs, TFSAs, etc.)
Public
(CPP/QPP + government employees*)
$631B
$1,142B
$342B + $1,381B = $1,723B
$142 billion of which is managed
by life insurers, accounting for
70% of small- to medium-sized
plans
$128 billion of which is
managed by life insurers
*This includes employees at all levels of government
Contents
View provincial data
View historical data
