Get All Access for $5/mo

American Retirement Outlook Falls to Lowest Level Since 2012 According to a report from global analytics firm Gallup, 42% of non-retired Americans are "very worried" about funding their retirement.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

ChristianChan | Shutterstock
According to a new report from Gallup, funding one's retirement is the biggest financial concern for many Americans.

Amid persistent inflation and looming recession fears, retirement is one of the biggest financial concerns for Americans right now.

According to a new report from analytics and advisory firm Gallup, the American outlook on retirement is the "most pessimistic" since 2012. Only 43% of non-retired Americans expect to live comfortably in retirement — dropping five percentage points compared to last year (48%) and 10 percentage points from 2021 (53%).

Furthermore, 71% of non-retirees reported feeling at least "moderately worried" about funding their retirement, including 42% that reported feeling "very worried."

Related: $1.2 Million Dollars in 6 Months – Retirement Strategy Secrets Revealed

The declining outlook on retirement comes amid months of economic uncertainty and the pending question of whether social security will run dry within the next decade — a fear that's only been accelerated since the debt ceiling debate and the possibility of a default.

Since the U.S. hit the debt ceiling limit of $31.4 trillion in January, Congress is now tasked with negotiating a deal to raise the debt limit or default. Defaulting would mean the U.S. won't be able to pay all of its bills on time, and government-supported programs — including social security — may be impacted.

Of those surveyed, 59% of retired adults reported Social Security as their main source of retirement funding.

In a separate Gallup survey released last week, when asked about the level of worry for eight financial risks, not having enough money for retirement was the "most troubling" for Americans.

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Business News

A Former Corporate Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here's How She Does It

Here are the secrets to starting and growing a successful YouTube channel, according to a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

Growing a Business

How to Determine The Ideal Length of Your Marketing Emails Your Customers Will Actually Read

Wondering how long your marketing emails should be? Here's what consumers say — so you can send them exactly what they like.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.