– Across generations, rising costs and family pressures reshape financial priorities
FWD Group Holdings Limited (FWD Group or FWD) today unveiled findings from its consumer outlook survey, showing that majority of Asia’s middle class feel financially anxious and underprepared for retirement, as rising living costs and growing family responsibilities reshape financial priorities across generations.
Nearly three quarters (71 per cent) of middle-class consumers feel anxiety about their overall financial wellbeing, with top three concerns being the rising cost of everyday living (71 per cent); high cost of healthcare (43 per cent); and unexpected job loss or a reduction in their income (37 per cent). As a result, their primary financial goals are focused on a two-to-three-year time frame. Almost half (44 per cent) of the respondents aim to build a basic safety net for their families, while one-third (37 per cent) hope to achieve financial independence.
Lee Yen Ho, Group Chief Distribution and Proposition Officer, FWD Group, said, “It’s clear that there is a shared sense of financial vulnerability across generations of middle classes in Asia. As people live longer and family structures evolve, building the financial resilience to protect loved ones and turn savings into sustainable lifetime income will become increasingly essential. Changing the way people feel about insurance has an important role to play. Insurance provides protection in difficult times, but it can also help to build resilience, secure income for retirement, and give people the confidence they need to celebrate living.”
The findings also reveal clear generational pressures:
– Generation X (born in 1965-1980) face the toughest balancing act – funding education, paying mortgages and preparing for retirement. Among this segment, 62 per cent worry that their savings won’t keep pace with inflation, and 52 per cent rank guaranteed lifelong income as their top retirement need.
– Generation Y (born 1981–1995) juggle multiple financial responsibilities, with 49 per cent worrying about saving for their own retirement. The vast majority (85 per cent) are supporting their parents, in addition to caring for their children. Although almost half (47 per cent) are looking for a single, efficient solution to cover multiple family members, most (61 per cent) have never heard of family insurance plans.
– Generation Z (born 1996–2010) face growing financial pressure, with 53 per cent expecting difficulties in the next five to 10 years due to rising daily expenses, and 46 per cent saying that insurance products feel too expensive.
The pan-Asian survey, conducted with Ipsos, surveyed over 9,000 middle-class consumers aged 21-65 years old across the 10 markets where FWD operates – Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
FWD already offers various products across its markets which aim to strengthen protection, resilience and long-term financial security. For example, in Hong Kong, the One&All medical insurance plan provides flexible family-focused coverage with optional add-on benefits that require no underwriting. In Japan, a singleyen premium annuity product was introduced to meet the growing demand for savings and retirement planning, helping individuals and families build a steady stream of retirement income. In Thailand and Singapore, the FWD Sure pension plan and FWD Invest Flexi Elite plan help customers prepare for retirement through structured income and sustainable wealth-building options. In Indonesia, the FWD Critical First protection plan delivers affordable, inflation-conscious coverage to help families safeguard their financial wellbeing amid rising costs.
About FWD Group
FWD Group (1828.HK) is a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 34 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828.
For more information, please visit www.fwd.com
For media inquiries, please contact: groupcommunications@fwd.com
Source: FWD Group Holdings Limited
