New research from Aegon reveals that six in ten people (60%) in the UK feel positive about their finances for 2026, maintaining last year’s results which, in turn, were an improvement on the 2024 results. In total, 11% feel “extremely positive” and 49% “somewhat positive”, compared to 36% who feel negative overall.
This year’s Financial Priorities findings show stability in financial optimism, with 60% feeling positive about their finances for 2026 – matching last year’s 60% positivity and building on the significant rise from 52% feeling positive in early 2024. While overall sentiment has held firm, the persistence of gender and generational gaps highlights that not everyone shares the same confidence.
Women have a net positivity score regarding their finances of 55% versus a higher 65% for men, while Gen X (44–59) are least upbeat about their finances at 49%, compared to Millennials (68%) and Gen Z (64%).
When asked to pick from a long list, people said their top three financial priorities for 2026 were covering basic living expenses (39%), building emergency savings (34%) and enjoying life (33%). Pension saving remains significant, a top three financial priority for 12%, and while not surprising that short-term pressures are taking precedence, this could be worrying when many people are not on track for an adequate retirement income.
Steven Cameron, Pensions Director at Aegon, said: “As we move into 2026, it’s encouraging that overall positivity about finances has held up, with six in ten feeling upbeat about their finances, in line with our 2025 findings.
“However, the picture isn’t uniform. Women remain less positive than men, and Gen X stands out as the least upbeat generation when it comes to their finances for 2026. Perhaps surprisingly Gen Z, Millennials, Boomers and the Silent Generation all have a clear majority for positivity towards their finances for the year ahead.
“Covering basic living costs continue to dominate priorities, with building emergency savings and enjoying life second and third in the priority list. The top concern, given by one third of those surveyed, is around unexpected expenses.
“While short term financial pressures and concerns dominate, pension saving does feature as a top three priority for around one in eight. With today’s continuing cost of living pressures, the short-term focus is not a surprise. But for many people, pension saving will need to be given greater priority in future if they are to build up an adequate income for retirement. This shows the importance of the Government’s Pension Commission looking at ways to improve pension adequacy.”
