Confidence in retirement savings has plunged to its lowest level in nearly a decade. Just 61% of workers now feel very or somewhat confident they’ll have enough money to live comfortably through retirement. That’s down from 67% last year and a peak of 72% in 2021. Retirees aren’t faring much better—73% express similar assurance, a five-point drop from 2025. These figures come from the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey , the longest-running poll of its kind, fielded online from January 2 to 28 among 2,544 Americans aged 25 and older. Craig Copeland, EBRI’s director of wealth benefits research, pins the blame on a toxic mix of pressures. “Americans are contending with a mix of immediate financial pressures and long-term uncertainty,” he said. “Many workers are struggling with debt, inflation and rising housing and health care costs, while retirees are increasingly worried about the future of Social Security and Medicare.…