• 46 percent want to manage their pension provision online
• Around 4 in 10 Germans are interested in AI advice

If you want to be financially secure in old age, you need to start thinking about your retirement provisions in good time. However, not everyone is able to accurately assess their financial situation in retirement. As a result, around two-thirds (65 percent) of Germans would like a simple digital overview of all their income in old age. Among those who are not yet retired, this figure rises to 77 percent. A total of 46 percent of Germans would like to be able to manage all their pension matters online. Among those who are not yet receiving a pension, this figure is more than half (55 percent). These are the results of a representative survey of 1,003 people aged 16 and over in Germany commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, including 674 people who are not yet retired.

“Many people do not know what they are entitled to in old age. Yet informed decisions about pension provision are more important than ever. Digital services can create transparency and make individual financial planning easier,” says Bitkom CEO Dr Bernhard Rohleder. For example, the Digital Pension Overview, a free online portal, has been available since 2023, providing citizens with a comprehensive overview of their pension provision. It brings together information from statutory, occupational and private pension schemes. However, the majority are not yet familiar with the portal: only 42 percent of Germans have heard of or read about the Digital Pension Overview portal, and among those without pension income, the figure is half (50 percent).

More and more people are also open to new forms of digital advice: 42 percent of Germans would like to receive advice on their pension provision from AI based on their life situation. Among those who do not yet receive a pension or retirement benefits, a majority of 53 percent are open to this. At the same time, a total of 45 percent of Germans and 52 percent of those who are not yet retired say that pension products are so complicated that they cannot take them out digitally without help. ‘Digital and personal advice should be closely integrated, especially when it comes to pension provision, which is often complex,’ says Rohleder. ‘Artificial intelligence can help to evaluate a wide range of relevant data, even under changing life circumstances, and thus support decision-making.’

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and over were surveyed by telephone, including 674 people who are not yet retired. The survey was conducted between calendar weeks 13 and 16 of 2025. The overall survey is representative. The question asked was: ‘Which of the following statements about pension products apply to you?’