Childless Americans Trail Parents by 18 Points in Retirement Confidence, Allianz Study Finds
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 19
Childless Americans Trail Parents by 18 Points in Retirement Confidence, Allianz Study Finds
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 19
Summary
54% of Americans without children said they can meet their retirement savings goal, versus 72% of parents in Allianz Life’s 2026 survey of 1,000 adults.
62% of childless respondents lacked a written financial plan, compared with 42% of parents, and 61% said day-to-day expenses kept them from focusing on retirement saving.
Parents still face heavy competing costs: Allianz found 29% of those undersaving blamed education expenses and 27% cited child care; federal and Brookings estimates put child-raising costs at roughly $284,570 to $310,605 through age 17.
The gap comes as retirement balances remain modest—Vanguard reported a 2025 average defined-contribution balance of $167,970, but a median of just $44,115—and 48% of Allianz respondents said retirement-saving difficulty factors into whether to have children.