Top 1000 2021: A snapshot of €9trn in pension assets
The largest 10 European pension funds ended 2020 with a greater allocation to equities and alternative investments, mostly at the expense of fixed income, according to IPE’s Top 1000 Pension Funds 2021 covering €9trn in assets for the leading 1,000 institutions.
Most of the top 10 funds grew either their equity or alternative investments, including real estate, anticipating outperformance of those asset classes as the global economy recovered.
Five out of 10 funds raised their equity allocations, six out of 10 lowered their fixed income allocations and six out of 10 raised their allocation to alternatives.
Overall assets in the IPE study increased by 9.8% to reach €9.09trn, with the UK at €2.15trn, followed by the Netherlands at €1.66trn and Norway at €1.28trn, including the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global. Read more
More Top 1000 data
With a gross headline increase in pension assets of over €800bn – or 9.8% – Europe’s pension fund asset pools can be said to have powered through the COVID-19 crisis, riding the market highs to bank a solid recovery, writes Liam Kennedy.
The Top 1000 Pension Funds report is IPE’s annual guide to Europe’s pension fund industry, including country-by-country editorial analysis and rankings.
Order your copy of the 2021 IPE Top 1000 Pension Funds report here.
If you have any queries about the report contact Emma Morgan-Jones on t: +44 20 3465 9317 or e: morgan.jones@ipe.com
Top 1000: Country-by-country analysis
Austria: Reform in the out tray The government has not followed through on promises made in its coalition agreement
Belgium: Government sets universal access task The Vivaldi coalition wants to increase second-pillar coverage and boost contributions
Denmark: ATP gets green light to adjust risk-reward balance New legislation clears the way for ATP to take on more investment risk
Finland: Unified pensions blueprint awaits proposals A tripartite working group is preparing recommendations on how to merge local government and private-sector pension systems
France: PER rises as state reform remains uncertain President Emmanuel Macron conditions pension reform relaunch on COVID recovery
Germany: Top-down transparency The supervisor BaFin has clarified governance and risk-assessment rules for occupational pensions
Iceland: Pension reform hits the doldrums Major review brought to a halt by concerns about insufficient consultation and criticisms of some proposed changes
Ireland: Counting the cost of new rules Ireland has finally transposed the European Union’s IORP II directive – but there is a long and potentially expensive path ahead to full implementation
Italy: Reform season lies ahead Italian policymakers are discussing further changes to the pension system but are reluctant to address the fundamental problems
Netherlands: What a difference a year can make Dutch pension funds funding ratios have made dramatic recovery over the past 12 month
Norway: Moves to boost occupational pension payouts Government proposals seek to strengthen right to pensions for all workers and maximise returns from schemes
Portugal: Social security fund targeted as COVID bites Many retirees continue to receive pensions below the poverty line as Portugal continues to turn grey
Spain: First phase of pension reform finally kicks off Government and social partners agree on a package of measures after a decade of discussion
Sweden: Occupational pension company route gains popularity Some pension providers and funds are opting to align with IORP II rules rather than the Solvency II-based regime
Switzerland: Rule changes widen investment choices New regulations may give pension funds the ability to allocate beyond current limits
UK: Funding challenges amid continued market uncertainty The UK’s pension regulator emphasises the need for schemes to focus on long-term planning, transparency and risk management