Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy

The report advocates for 'longevity literacy'—a holistic approach to planning for longer lives based on quality of life, purpose, and financial resilience. Using a pulse poll of approximately 400 educated professionals, it identifies significant gaps between retirement income expectations and projected outcomes, highlights a gender pension gap, and notes a growing trend of younger generations expecting to provide financial and physical care for older relatives. It calls for multistakeholder action to prevent poverty in ageing populations.

• Longevity literacy is defined as a framework that "empowers individuals to live a healthy and sustainable life with dignity and purpose" by focusing on three core pillars: quality of life, purpose, and financial resilience.
• Health is the primary concern for those facing longer lives, with 43% of pulse poll respondents citing illness or health as their top concern.
• There is a shifting dynamic in intergenerational support; 45% of respondents under age 40 expect to provide financial support to elderly relatives, compared to 32% of those over 40.
• A significant gap exists between retirement savings goals and reality, with 55% of participants stating they have not saved enough or are unsure if they have.
• The 'gender pension gap' is driven by lower lifetime earnings, gendered employment patterns, and the fact that women live longer on average, with gaps of 34% in the US and 40% in the UK.
• Generational differences in seeking financial advice are stark: individuals under 40 are eight times more likely to use social media for financial advice than those over 40.
• There is a disconnect between retirement desires and financial reality for younger people, as 44% of those under 40 wish to stop working by age 60 or earlier.
• Social isolation is a significant risk, with 40% of pulse poll respondents reporting they feel isolated and 30% fearing they will be lonely in later life.
• Racial disparities impact retirement readiness; 52% of white respondents believe they have saved enough for retirement, compared to 26% of non-white respondents.
• Global inequities make retirement saving unviable for many, with over 700 million people worldwide living in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Living_Longer_Better_Understanding_Longevity_Literacy_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Living_Longer_Better_Understanding_Longevity_Literacy_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy |date=June 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Living_Longer_Better_Understanding_Longevity_Literacy_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023living, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Living_Longer_Better_Understanding_Longevity_Literacy_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }