Asia Care Survey 2026
For years, Manulife’s Asia Care Survey has explored the health and wealth well-being of people across Asia, uncovering their evolving needs, values, and aspirations. The latest 2026 edition, which surveyed over 9,000 adults across nine Asia markets, highlights a less discussed reality of longevity.
As life expectancy increases, the period during which adults rely on others in their later years is also becoming extended. In Asia, it is estimated that older adults may require care or financial support for as long as 13-14 years. This extended period of dependency is reshaping how people think about the future.
According to Asia Care Survey 2026, many are moving away from traditional notions of inheritance, prioritizing what we call “burdenless freedom” - a desire to remain independent without burdening their families.
Key findings from Manulife Asia Care Survey 2026:
- 82% of people in Asia believe their independence to be the most meaningful legacy they could leave to their families.
- Health and financial well-being are the key building blocks on the path to independence.
- Those who talk openly about their retirement needs report a better quality of life than those who do not.
What if the greatest inheritance you could pass on is your independence?
More than 80% of adults in Asia place greater importance on securing physical and financial independence than on leaving behind tangible assets.
“Across Asia, people are redefining what it means to leave something behind for the next generation,” said Steve Finch, CEO of Manulife Asia. “Independence has become the new and better legacy – because when people can take care of their own health and finances, they preserve their dignity while freeing their families to live their own lives.”
Understanding independence means taking a close look at how health, wealth and retirement intersect.
Most people know what good health requires, but fewer are acting on it
For many, the first line of defence against care dependency on their families is good health. Nearly two-thirds (64%) those who prioritize being self-sufficient understand that good health is the foundation of independence, but only half have taken concrete steps toward building the good health they will need in retirement.
Preventive care in Asia still leaves room for improvement
Although prevention is widely valued, it is not yet widely practised.
For instance, our survey revealed that only half of the respondents receive a comprehensive health check-up by a qualified medical professional once or more a year. Japan and the Philippines reported the highest frequency at over 60%.
In addition, around 1 in 10 Asian adults reportedly have never undergone a full health check-up, with this figure rising to 1 in 5 in Hong Kong. By contrast, only 3% of respondents in China have never attended a check-up.
Fewer than half maintain a self-care habit
When asked about their preferred self-care habits, only 26% have attended early screenings and taken preventive care to avoid chronic illness. Overall, as few as 12-41% maintain respective self-care habits, while 5% do not practise any form of self-care.
The top 5 self-care habits remain below 41% adoption – underscoring the gap between intention and preparedness.
- Maintain a consistent exercise routine to stay healthy and mobile
- Follow a balanced diet to prevent future health issues
- Engage in hobbies and leisure activities
- Spend quality time with supportive friends, family members or pets
- Attend early screenings and take preventive care
Open family conversations are recognized as vital, but many still avoid them.
According to our survey, nearly 70% of people in Asia believe that having open and honest family discussions about aging and retirement improves well-being. Yet, only 58% report actually having these conversations.
While awareness of healthy aging practices is high across Asia, a significant gap exists between knowledge and action. People must move beyond good intentions and commit to concrete steps toward preventive care and consistent self-care habits.
This gap between intention and action extends to family conversations about retirement and growing older, where belief in their importance has yet to translate into meaningful dialogue.
The good news is that a few simple steps can be taken to build a meaningful foundation for healthy aging:
- Make preventive care a routine: Schedule at least one comprehensive health check-up per year and treat early screenings as a non-negotiable part of maintaining independence in retirement.
- Build sustainable self-care habits, starting small: Rather than overhauling lifestyle choices all at once, start with one to two foundational habits, such as maintaining a consistent exercise routine and following a balanced diet, before gradually incorporating others, such as engaging in hobbies or building social connections.
- Start the family conversation about aging and retirement now: Families should proactively set aside time to discuss retirement plans, health wishes and legacy goals. Waiting until a health crisis arises can make these conversations more challenging and the decisions more stressful.
About Asia Care Survey 2026
The Asia Care Survey 2026 was conducted across February and March 2026 and captured insights from over 9,000 individuals aged 18 or above (including 60+) across nine Asian markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan region, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia.
A mindset shift: from family safety net to self-dependence
The shift towards using most of their financial assets to fund their own independence rather than expecting their children to be their main safety net later in life is reshaping how people save, invest, and protect their lifestyles. Instead of building wealth for legacy alone, many are prioritizing resilient, income-generating portfolios designed to support longer lives, uncertainty, and rising costs.
People in Asia plan to allocate more than two-thirds (68%) of their financial assets to fund their own independence, leaving only one-third (32%) of their assets to children.
This mindset is especially pronounced in markets such as Taiwan, where adults plan to allocate 78% of their financial assets to fund their own independence, leaving just 22% to children; Japan is also high at 76% for self-funding, reinforcing how strongly self-reliance is taking hold in parts of Asia.
What does self-reliance look like in practice? Survey respondents are planning to fund their retirement and care support themselves from: savings (79%), investments (51%), insurance (44%); only 19% plan to depend on children for financial support.
Investment as an enabler remains underutilized
And with reduced reliance on children, the opportunity is clear – but investment adoption still lags. Only 32% invest in stocks and 23% in mutual funds, while 52% of people are increasing savings such as cash and time deposits (52%). This preference for cash still dominates even in markets moving faster: for example, 66% in the Philippines and 62% in Indonesia say they have increased savings, while Japan again stands out for inertia, with 28% saying they have taken no specific steps to ensure future financial wellbeing and security.
Among those who have increased savings and investments, there’s a growing intent to optimize portfolios through income-oriented solutions (40%) and diversification (38%).
While there is a clear move away from family dependence, it also reveals an important gap. The majority of people still rely more on savings than investments to secure their financial well-being. While saving more is important, it alone may not be enough to address longevity risk.
“There is a clear disconnect between what people want and how they are acting. Many are prioritizing independence, yet underutilizing investments that can help them achieve it. Too often, financial planning is approached as a choice between supporting one’s own independence and leaving a legacy—but that mindset can be limiting,” said Fabio Fontainha, CEO of Wealth and Asset Management, Asia, Manulife.
There is a growing recognition that investment and wealth strategies must evolve – not only from static savings to dynamic, diversified income-generating portfolios that can adapt to inflation, market uncertainty and unexpected life events, but also toward making fuller use of investments as a core engine of long-term financial independence – particularly by starting early and allowing compounding work over time. A disciplined, long-term approach grounded in diversification can help people navigate changing needs and uncertainty with greater confidence, turning it into something they can plan for, rather than react to.
- Build income for today: Think beyond accumulation. Build and stress test for predictable cash flow – especially against inflation and longevity risk.
- Invest to secure tomorrow. Make fuller use of investments as an enabler to grow assets and sustain long-term independence, so retirement and care aren’t dependent on family support.
- Make the plan visible: Be clear about priorities – whether independence, lifestyle or legacy, then align savings and investment strategies accordingly.
About Asia Care Survey 2026
The Asia Care Survey 2026 was conducted across February and March 2026 and captured insights from over 9,000 individuals aged 18 or above (including 60+) across nine Asian markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan region, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia.
Phased retirement to support independence
Across Asia, traditional retirement planning often assumes a single switch: work ends, retirement begins. Today, it is increasingly a gradual journey, shaped by financial realities, family responsibilities, and the desire to stay independent longer.
Working later in life is increasingly part of the retirement plan.
74% want some form of work after age 65, with flexible part-time work most preferred, as a way to sustain independence and choice.
However, this flexibility is often shaped by financial reality.
About half of people across Asia currently provide financial support to family members. The burden is even heavier in the Philippines and Indonesia, where 68% currently support family financially.
For those who do, almost 38% of monthly income goes to family responsibilities (rising to 40% for the sandwich generation). As a result, confidence about long-term independence is affected. Nearly 68% say family responsibilities are limiting their ability to achieve independence, rising to 74% among the sandwich generation.
The tension between today's responsibilities and future financial security
When more income is directed toward supporting others, it may become harder to sustain savings, invest consistently, and build buffers for retirement and healthcare. Without early planning, supporting others today can come at the cost of independence later.
This also reinforces an important reality: retirement needs to be planned as stages, not as a single point in time.
A longer working life can support independence – but only if people are prepared for how income, spending, and care needs evolve over time, from full-time work, to phased retirement, to later-life care. Without structured planning and an investment strategy, people risk being forced to work longer than they want or making rushed financial decisions when circumstances change.
The good news is that there are clear ways forward – starting with conversations and more structured planning.
Among adults aged over 54, those who have discussed retirement needs with family are more likely to report better quality of life (74% vs 55% among those who have not), while those who have discussed with a financial planner show an even stronger advantage (85% vs 67%), with the biggest uplift seen in Japan (+40 points).
Silence carries a cost
When expectations, roles and preferences are unclear, financial plans are often built on assumptions that may not hold. This increases the risk of last-minute decisions, misaligned expectations, and disrupted investment strategies – particularly when health or care needs arise.
Early conversations, combined with professional guidance, can turn uncertainty into a shared and actionable plan, reducing avoidable financial stress later.
- Plan retirement in phases, not a date:
- Pre-retirement (build): Focus on growing assets early while starting to shape future income via investments. Combine accumulation with a diversified approach – time and compounding are your advantage.
- Transition (phase-down work): Gradually replace part of your paycheque with portfolio income, while keeping part of your assets invested for continued growth. Set rules for volatility so market swings don’t dictate your retirement timing.
- Long retirement (income and care planning): Review income sustainability and asset growth regularly across decades. Integrate expected care needs into the retirement budget.
- If you’re the sandwich generation (supporting children and parents): Build ongoing family obligations into your cash flow plan, not just “what’s left over”. Continue investing for long-term while maintaining an emergency buffer so you’re not forced to sell long-term investments at the wrong time.
- If you’re a solo planner: Prioritise both growth and liquidity: keep assets invested to support long-term needs, while ensuring you can access funds without disrupting your overall plan.
- Break the silence: Talk to family and seek professional guidance
- Schedule a family conversation on independence, boundaries, and care expectations.
- Start with three prompts: What does independence mean to you? What support is realistic? What boundaries do we need?
- Make it practical: Map living expenses, healthcare/care needs, and who funds what.
- Seek professional financial guidance to connect growth, income, and retirement needs into one integrated plan.
About Asia Care Survey 2026
The Asia Care Survey 2026 was conducted across February and March 2026 and captured insights from over 9,000 individuals aged 18 or above (including 60+) across nine Asian markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan region, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia.