Retirement has become the dominant concern for retail investors worldwide, yet most still lack the confidence and financial knowledge to turn savings into long-term investment plans, according to the third edition of Amundi 's "Decoding Investors" study, published this week. The survey was conducted across 26 countries among 18,000 people.A priority outpacing confidence
Personal savings and investments are now expected to fund 42% of respondents' retirement income, ahead of state pensions and workplace schemes, with that share rising above 50% in Asia. Yet only 36% of investors Name retirement as a key motivation for investing (34% in Europe, 40% in Asia), and just 23% feel very confident about achieving long-term financial security, down from 26% a year earlier.
Professional advice appears to close part of that Gap : half of advised investors report feeling very confident about funding their retirement, compared with only 14% of those who have never sought advice.
Fear keeps savers on the sidelines
Nearly half of savers (43%) expect to start investing within the Next 12 months, a figure that climbs to 62% among 21 to 30 year olds, but 39% remain held back by fear of losing money. National differences are pronounced: Danish savers show the strongest appetite to invest (79%), followed by Singapore (73%), while Belgium and Germany rank lowest, at just 24%. For many, the result is cash sitting idle well beyond what is needed as a buffer, even though 52% of savers say an emergency fund of under six months of income would be sufficient.
Confidence outpaces knowledge
Seventy percent of investors who describe themselves as experts failed to answer three basic financial literacy questions correctly, a Gap that is widest among high net worth investors: the most confident group, but also the one with the lowest literacy score, at just 36%. That group also leans hardest on professional guidance, with 87% seeking advice from a financial adviser, against 58% of retail investors overall.
AI and influencers enter the mix
The use of AI assistants for investment ideas nearly quadrupled over the past year, reaching 19% in 2026, and seven in ten investors say they have used AI at some point to help with an investment decision. Fifty nine percent have acted on its suggestions, and 90% describe themselves as satisfied with the result. Social media influencers now inform investment choices for 46% of investors globally, most notably in India (68%) and Brazil (65%), with adoption still comparatively low in France, Spain and Germany.
More than 60% of investors say they have access to at least some professional advice, and 59% now receive part or all of it online, a sign that newer channels are supplementing traditional guidance rather than replacing it.
"While funding retirement becomes a central concern for households globally, the third edition of our Decoding Investors study highlights a pressing challenge: helping more savers become investors and enter capital markets," said Fannie Wurtz, Amundi 's Deputy General Manager and Head of Clients Group. "For our industry, this means strengthening trust, improving access to Investor education, notably through digital channels, and offering simple, transparent and accessible solutions."
