Women trail men in retirement savings, expect greater reliance on Social Security

Women in the U.S. have substantially less retirement savings than men, potentially contributing to greater reliance on Social Security, according to a new Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies report. As of late 2025, women had a median $49,000 in household retirement accounts, compared with $82,000 for men. Women were more likely to expect Social Security to be their primary source of retirement income (31% vs. 25%), while men were more likely to expect to rely on self-funded savings such as 401(k)s (34% vs. 29%). Among people who haven't retired, women were more likely to report that high living costs, debt and insufficient income interfere with saving.