Divorced women typically have £53,160 less in pension savings than divorced men in the UK, with men walking away with £85,800 compared to £32,640 for divorced women.
The research by Mercer, now:pensions and the Pension Policy Institute (PPI) also reveals a significant pension wealth gap among married couples, with men holding £111,540 and women’s average pension funds at just £43,656 – a difference of 61%.
“Pensions are the second-largest asset in a marriage after property, yet only 11% of the more than 100,000 divorces in 2024 and 2025 involved pension attachment orders, which allow for the division of pension assets,” now:pensions notes.
The research, which will be released in full in the forthcoming 2026 Gender Pensions Gap report, also found that three quarters of divorce settlements (71%) don’t consider pension assets, often prioritising housing and property instead.
Assuming a retirement age of 66 and taking average life expectancy into account, pension wealth must last approximately 13 years for men and 17 years for women. Yet divorced women’s annual pension income is just £13,893 – barely over the UK’s minimum living standard – with divorced men receiving around £18,753.
The research also highlights employment disparities that contribute to the pension gap: 30% of divorced women work part-time compared to just 10% of divorced men, and earn an average of 37% less. “This lower earning capacity means that divorced women are twice as likely to be excluded from automatic pension enrolment compared to men,” now:pensions pointed out.
“Automatic enrolment pension saving dictates that individuals must be aged 22 and over and earn £10,000 in a single role,” Joanne Segars OBE, now:pensions Master Trust’s chair of the trustee board, explained.
“As a consequence, far too many groups in our society experience an uncomfortable reality and they are ‘locked out’ of the pension auto-enrolment system, unable to earn enough to put money aside for later. As a result, these groups find themselves on the wrong side of a growing pension savings gap. At now:pensions Master Trust, our mission is to support a fairer pension system that enables everyone to get the retirement they deserve.”
“The data reflects what we family lawyers see in practice,” said Anne-Marie Hamer, partner at Spencer West LLP.
“Many men who are divorcing in their late fifties and sixties hold significantly higher pension values, shaped by historic working patterns where men were more likely to have long, uninterrupted careers and senior progression, while women took time out for caring responsibilities.
“Pensions are often the forgotten aspect of divorce despite being one of the largest assets in a marriage. Marriages are a partnership and lifetime commitment, and it is commonplace for one party to have amassed a greater pension than the other. Full and frank disclosure is essential to equitable pension sharing in divorce proceedings. Until a financial settlement is reached, both spouses retain a vested interest in any marital pension pot.
“As working and societal patterns continue to change, this gap should narrow accordingly, but it remains vital that pensions are consistently factored into divorce outcomes to reflect contributions to a relationship and ensure parity and with the instruction of experts identified at the earliest opportunity .”
“The authors are right to call for pension provision to be considered in all financial remedy proceedings following divorce,” Simon Blain, family partner at law firm Forsters, said.
Writing in this publication, Blain said a joined-up strategy is required to address gender-based pension inequality, encouraging both applicants and professionals to consider seeking advice from pensions specialists, to cost of which “is likely to be recouped many times over if an appropriate division or offset of pension resources is achieved.”
