Research

The 401(k) and Retirement Plan Report 2026 (Form 5500)

By The Ledgerism Editorial Team · The Ledgerism Brief Editorial Team produces original, methodology-disclosed accounting and tax research—data trackers, databases, and reference guides built to be the most-cited source in the field. Every figure is verified against primary sources including FASB, the IRS, the PCAOB, NASBA, the AICPA, and state boards of accountancy.

A definitive, source-linked profile of the U.S. private employer retirement plan system, built from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings, IRS contribution limits for 2026, Federal Reserve household balance data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics access data. Every statistic below carries its exact year, its geography (United States, private sector unless noted), and a primary source. Where a figure is derived, the formula and inputs are shown. Where data could not be verified to a primary source, it is flagged and excluded.

Key term: A 401(k) is not a separate plan type in DOL statistics. It is a cash-or-deferred arrangement, a feature attached to defined contribution (DC) profit-sharing plans. DOL counts “plans with a 401(k) feature” rather than “401(k) plans.” This report follows that convention and labels it explicitly.

Executive summary

• The U.S. private retirement system covered 801,371 defined benefit and defined contribution plans in plan year 2022, of which 754,862 (94.2%) were defined contribution plans (Source: CRS analysis of DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022).
• 685,676 defined contribution plans included a 401(k) feature in 2022, holding $6.7 trillion in assets across 101.7 million participants (Source: CRS analysis of DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022).
• Defined contribution plans held $8.1 trillion in assets with 121.3 million total participants and 92.6 million active participants in 2022 (Source: CRS analysis of DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022).
• Active participation flipped from defined benefit to defined contribution over five decades: DB active participants fell from 27.2 million (1975) to 11.1 million (2023), while DC active participants rose from 11.2 million to 96.4 million (Source: DOL EBSA Private Pension Plan Bulletin Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023, September 2025).
• The 2026 elective deferral limit for 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans is $24,500, with a $8,000 age-50 catch-up and an $11,250 catch-up for ages 60 to 63 (Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 / IR-2025-111, November 13, 2025).
• A U.S. private retirement plan is a “large plan” requiring an independent audit attached to Form 5500 when it has 100 or more participants with account balances at the start of the plan year, subject to the 80-120 rule (Source: DOL Form 5500 instructions; 29 CFR 2520.103-1).
• Among U.S. families that held retirement accounts in 2022, the conditional median balance was $86,900 and the conditional mean was $334,000; 54.3% of families held such accounts (Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances).
• 70% of private industry workers had access to a defined contribution plan and 50% participated in March 2024; 15% had access to a defined benefit plan (Source: BLS National Compensation Survey, March 2024).

Key findings

1. The private retirement plan universe totaled 801,371 DB and DC plans in plan year 2022 (Source: CRS, Types of Private Sector Defined Contribution Plans, IF12839, citing DOL Form 5500 microdata).
2. Defined contribution plans made up 94.2% of all private plans in 2022, at 754,862 plans (Source: CRS IF12839, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
3. Defined benefit plans numbered 46,509 in 2022, a derived figure equal to 801,371 total minus 754,862 DC (Source: derived from CRS IF12839 / DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
4. 685,676 DC plans carried a 401(k) feature in 2022 (Source: CRS IF12839, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
5. Plans with a 401(k) feature held $6.7 trillion in assets and 101.7 million participants in 2022 (Source: CRS IF12839, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
6. Defined contribution plans held $8.1 trillion in total assets in 2022 (Source: CRS, Private-Sector Defined Contribution Pension Plans: An Introduction, R47152, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
7. Defined contribution plans had 121.3 million total participants and 92.6 million active participants in 2022 (Source: CRS R47152, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
8. DC active participants rose from 11.2 million in 1975 to 96.4 million in 2023, while DB active participants fell from 27.2 million to 11.1 million (Source: DOL EBSA Private Pension Plan Bulletin Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023, September 2025, Table E7).
9. Defined contribution plans first exceeded defined benefit plans in active participants after 1984 (Source: CRS, IF12007, citing DOL EBSA Historical Tables).
10. Cash balance plans grew from 16.9% of all DB plans in 2010 to 57.3% in 2022 (Source: CRS, Data on Private Sector Defined Benefit Plans, 2010-2022, IF13065, DOL Form 5500 data).
11. The 2026 401(k)/403(b)/457 elective deferral limit is $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025 (Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 / IR-2025-111, November 13, 2025).
12. The 2026 total defined contribution annual additions limit under IRC 415(c) is $72,000, up from $70,000 in 2025 (Source: IRS COLA table, 2026).
13. A U.S. plan becomes a “large plan” needing an IQPA audit at 100 or more participants with account balances at the start of the plan year, effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023 (Source: DOL Form 5500 instructions; 88 FR 11793, February 24, 2023).
14. Among U.S. families holding retirement accounts in 2022, the conditional median balance was $86,900 (Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances).
15. The average Vanguard defined contribution participant balance was $148,153 and the median was $38,176 at year-end 2024 (Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2025, Tier-2).

Section 1: How many private retirement plans exist (plan counts)

The number of plans is the clearest measure of the shift in U.S. private retirement provision. Defined contribution plans, dominated by profit-sharing plans with a 401(k) feature, now account for the overwhelming majority of plans.

• The private plan universe totaled 801,371 DB and DC plans in plan year 2022 (Source: CRS IF12839, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
• Defined contribution plans totaled 754,862 in 2022, or 94.2% of all plans (Source: CRS IF12839, 2022).
• Defined benefit plans totaled 46,509 in 2022 (derived: 801,371 minus 754,862) (Source: derived from CRS IF12839, 2022).
• Plans with a 401(k) feature totaled 685,676 in 2022, or roughly 90.8% of all DC plans (derived: 685,676 / 754,862) (Source: CRS IF12839, 2022; ratio derived).

Source: CRS analysis of DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022 (IF12839). DB count and 401(k) share are derived as noted.

Limitation: DOL reports 401(k) as a feature of profit-sharing DC plans, not as a distinct plan category. Any headline that says “there are 685,676 401(k) plans” should read “685,676 DC plans included a 401(k) feature.”

Section 2: Participants and assets

Assets and participants concentrate in the defined contribution system, and within it, in plans with a 401(k) feature.

• Defined contribution plans held $8.1 trillion in assets in 2022 (Source: CRS R47152, DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022).
• Plans with a 401(k) feature held $6.7 trillion of that DC total in 2022, roughly 82.7% of DC assets (derived: 6.7 / 8.1) (Source: CRS IF12839, 2022; share derived).
• Defined contribution plans had 121.3 million total participants in 2022 (Source: CRS R47152, 2022).
• Defined contribution plans had 92.6 million active participants in 2022 (Source: CRS R47152, 2022).
• Plans with a 401(k) feature had 101.7 million participants in 2022 (Source: CRS IF12839, 2022).

The gap between 121.3 million total and 92.6 million active DC participants reflects separated employees and retirees who retain account balances. That gap, about 28.7 million, is a structural feature of DC plans that DB plans largely lack.

Source: CRS analysis of DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022 (R47152, IF12839).

Cross-check on total market size (different methodology, do not add to Form 5500 figures): The Investment Company Institute reported total U.S. retirement assets of $47.6 trillion as of March 31, 2026, including $13.8 trillion in DC plans, $9.9 trillion in 401(k) plans, $18.2 trillion in IRAs, and $1.5 trillion in 403(b) plans (Source: ICI, The US Retirement Market, First Quarter 2026, Tier-2). At year-end 2024, ICI reported total retirement assets of $44.1 trillion (Source: ICI, 2025 Investment Company Fact Book, Tier-2). Separately, the Federal Reserve Financial Accounts data compiled by CRS put total U.S. retirement plan and account assets at $37.8 trillion as of December 31, 2022, of which $26.3 trillion was in employer-sponsored plans and $11.5 trillion in IRAs (Source: CRS, U.S. Retirement Assets: Data in Brief, R47699, September 2023, Tier-1).

Note on reconciliation: The DOL Form 5500 DC figure ($8.1T, 2022, private sector only) is smaller than the ICI DC figure ($13.8T, Q1 2026) because ICI includes government and 403(b) plans, uses a later date, and applies market-value estimation. The three sources are not additive and are not directly comparable across dates.

Section 3: The DB-to-DC shift (plan-formation trend)

The dominant structural trend in U.S. private retirement is the five-decade migration from employer-managed defined benefit pensions to participant-directed defined contribution accounts.

• DB active participants fell from 27.2 million in 1975 to 11.1 million in 2023 (Source: DOL EBSA Historical Tables 1975-2023, September 2025).
• DC active participants rose from 11.2 million in 1975 to 96.4 million in 2023 (Source: DOL EBSA Historical Tables 1975-2023, September 2025).
• By 2023, DC plans had roughly 8.7 times as many active participants as DB plans (derived: 96.4 / 11.1) (Source: derived from DOL EBSA Historical Tables, 2023).
• Cash balance plans, a hybrid DB design, rose from 16.9% of all DB plans in 2010 to 57.3% in 2022 (Source: CRS IF13065, DOL Form 5500 data, 2010-2022).

Source: DOL EBSA Private Pension Plan Bulletin Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023 (September 2025); 2022 active DC from CRS R47152.

Context: The traditional DB plan has not vanished so much as changed form. The majority of surviving DB plans are now cash balance designs, which express benefits as an account balance and shift some of the longevity and investment framing toward the DC model. This complicates any simple “DB is dead” narrative.

Section 4: 2026 contribution and plan limits

The IRS set 2026 limits in Notice 2025-67, released November 13, 2025 (IR-2025-111). All figures below are U.S. federal limits for tax year 2026.

Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 (IR-2025-111, November 13, 2025) and IRS COLA increases table for 2026.

• The higher catch-up for ages 60 to 63 remains $11,250 for 2026, unchanged from 2025 (Source: IRS Notice 2025-67).
• Under SECURE 2.0, employees who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages in the prior calendar year (2025) must make catch-up contributions on a Roth basis in 2026 (Source: IRS guidance implementing IRC 414(v)(7)).

Analytical note: A worker aged 60 to 63 in 2026 can defer up to $35,750 personally ($24,500 + $11,250) before employer contributions, and total annual additions can reach the $72,000 415(c) ceiling. The 415(c) limit, not the 402(g) deferral limit, governs the total that can enter a single participant’s DC account in a year.

Section 5: The large-plan audit threshold and the 80-120 rule

The Form 5500 audit requirement is one of the most consequential compliance triggers for U.S. plan sponsors, because it determines whether an independent qualified public accountant (IQPA) audit must be attached to the annual return.

• A plan is a “large plan” requiring an IQPA audit when it has 100 or more participants at the beginning of the plan year (Source: DOL Form 5500 instructions; 29 CFR 2520.104-46).
• Effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, the participant count for the audit threshold in a DC plan counts only participants with an account balance at the start of the year (Source: DOL final rule, 88 FR 11793, February 24, 2023).
• Under the 80-120 rule, a plan with between 80 and 120 participants at the beginning of the plan year may file in the same category (small or large) it used the prior year (Source: DOL Form 5500 instructions).

How the pieces fit together (in order of application for a DC plan, 2023 and later):

1. Count participants with an account balance as of the first day of the plan year.
2. If that count is under 80, the plan files as a small plan (Schedule I, generally no audit).
3. If the count is 100 or more and the plan filed as a large plan last year, an IQPA audit is required.
4. If the count is between 80 and 120, the plan may keep its prior-year filing status, which can defer the first audit.

Practical effect: The 2023 counting change, from all eligible participants to only those with account balances, moved a large number of small U.S. employers below the 100-participant line, reducing first-time audit obligations for plans with many auto-enrolled but zero-balance employees.

Section 6: Household balances and worker access

Two different lenses measure how much U.S. households have saved and how many workers can save at all. They use different populations and are not interchangeable.

Household balances (Federal Reserve, all retirement accounts including IRAs and 401(k)s):

• 54.3% of U.S. families held retirement accounts in 2022, up nearly 4 percentage points from 2019 (Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances).
• Among families that held such accounts, the conditional median balance was $86,900 in 2022 (Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 SCF).
• Among families that held such accounts, the conditional mean balance was $334,000 in 2022 (Source: Federal Reserve, 2022 SCF).

Recordkeeper balances (Vanguard, DC plans it administers, Tier-2):

• The average Vanguard DC participant balance was $148,153 at year-end 2024 (Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2025).
• The median Vanguard DC participant balance was $38,176 at year-end 2024, up 8% from year-end 2023 (Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2025).

Worker access (BLS, private industry workers):

• 70% of U.S. private industry workers had access to a defined contribution plan in March 2024 (Source: BLS National Compensation Survey, March 2024).
• 50% of U.S. private industry workers participated in a defined contribution plan in March 2024 (Source: BLS NCS, March 2024).
• 15% of U.S. private industry workers had access to a defined benefit plan in March 2024 (Source: BLS NCS, March 2024).

The mean-versus-median gap is the single most important caution for any journalist. In 2022 the SCF conditional mean ($334,000) was 3.8 times the conditional median ($86,900), because high-balance households pull the average up. The Vanguard median ($38,176, YE2024) is lower than the SCF median because it measures single-plan balances for current-employer accounts, not a household’s combined lifetime retirement wealth.

Original synthesis: three derived insights

Insight 1: The 401(k) Concentration Ratio (plans, participants, assets)

Logic: For plan year 2022, express plans with a 401(k) feature as a share of the total DC system on three axes: plan count, participants, and assets.

• Plan count: 685,676 / 754,862 = 90.8% of DC plans carry a 401(k) feature.
• Participants: 101.7 million / 121.3 million = 83.8% of DC participants are in a plan with a 401(k) feature.
• Assets: $6.7 trillion / $8.1 trillion = 82.7% of DC assets sit in plans with a 401(k) feature.

Inputs: CRS IF12839 and R47152 (DOL Form 5500 microdata, 2022). Interpretation: The 401(k) feature is not one option among many. It is the structural core of the DC system, present in nine of every ten DC plans and holding more than four of every five DC dollars.
Limitation: Ratios mix a plan-level count with participant and asset totals that DOL reports for slightly different aggregations; treat as close approximations, not exact accounting identities.

Insight 2: The DB-to-DC Participation Reversal Index (1975 = baseline)

Logic: Track the ratio of DC active participants to DB active participants across five decades to quantify the reversal.

• 1975: 11.2M DC / 27.2M DB = 0.41 (DB dominant).
• 2023: 96.4M DC / 11.1M DB = 8.68 (DC dominant).
• Swing factor: 8.68 / 0.41 = a 21-fold shift in the DC-to-DB participation ratio between 1975 and 2023.

Inputs: DOL EBSA Historical Tables 1975-2023 (September 2025). Interpretation: The private U.S. retirement system did not gradually rebalance. It inverted. A worker in 1975 was more than twice as likely to be an active DB participant as an active DC participant; by 2023 the odds were nearly nine to one the other way.
Limitation: Active-participant counts undercount total DB coverage because they exclude retirees drawing benefits; the index measures the accumulation phase, not benefits in pay.

Insight 3: The 2026 Maximum-Savings Multiple (by age band)

Logic: Compare the total personal deferral a worker can make in 2026 across three age bands, using the 402(g) and catch-up limits, and index each to the under-50 base.

• Under 50: $24,500 personal deferral. Index 1.00.
• Age 50 to 59, and 64+: $24,500 + $8,000 = $32,500. Index 1.33.
• Age 60 to 63: $24,500 + $11,250 = $35,750. Index 1.46.

Inputs: IRS Notice 2025-67 (2026 limits). Interpretation: The 2026 rules let a worker in the 60-to-63 SECURE 2.0 window defer 46% more than a worker under 50, the widest age-based deferral gap in 401(k) history. The 415(c) ceiling of $72,000 still caps total additions including employer money.
Limitation: These are ceilings, not typical behavior. The Vanguard median balance of $38,176 (YE2024) shows most participants save far below any of these limits.

Charts to create

1. Title: “The 94.2% System: Private Retirement Plans by Type, 2022.” Data: DC 754,862 vs DB 46,509 plans. Source: CRS IF12839 / DOL Form 5500, 2022. Insight: DC dominance of plan count. Why citable: single clean stat editors quote for the “401(k) nation” framing.
2. Title: “The Reversal, 1975-2023: Active Participants in DB vs DC Plans.” Data: DB 27.2M to 11.1M; DC 11.2M to 96.4M. Source: DOL EBSA Historical Tables 1975-2023. Insight: the crossover after 1984. Why citable: the definitive visual of the pension shift.
3. Title: “401(k) Concentration: Share of DC Plans, Participants, and Assets, 2022.” Data: 90.8% / 83.8% / 82.7%. Source: CRS IF12839, R47152. Insight: 401(k) is the DC core. Why citable: original derived ratio not published elsewhere.
4. Title: “2026 Contribution Ceilings by Age Band.” Data: $24,500 / $32,500 / $35,750. Source: IRS Notice 2025-67. Insight: SECURE 2.0 60-63 window. Why citable: timely, actionable for 2026 planning.
5. Title: “Mean vs Median: The Retirement Balance Gap, 2022.” Data: SCF conditional mean $334,000 vs median $86,900. Source: Federal Reserve 2022 SCF. Insight: skew of retirement wealth. Why citable: corrects the common “average balance” error.

Methodology

Source selection: Tier-1 primary sources were prioritized: DOL EBSA Form 5500 aggregates (via the Private Pension Plan Bulletin and Historical Tables, and via Congressional Research Service tabulations of the underlying DOL microdata), IRS Notice 2025-67 and the IRS COLA table for 2026 limits, the Federal Reserve 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances for household balances, the Federal Reserve Financial Accounts (via CRS) for total assets, and the BLS National Compensation Survey (March 2024) for worker access. Tier-2 sources (ICI, Vanguard) are used only for total-market and recordkeeper-balance context and are labeled inline.

Inclusion and exclusion rules: A statistic was included only if traceable to a primary source with an exact year and geography. Figures that could not be verified to a primary source were excluded. No projection or older figure is presented as current.

Handling conflicts: The DOL Form 5500 asset total ($8.1T DC, 2022, private sector) differs from ICI and Fed Financial Accounts totals because of population, date, and estimation differences. These are presented side by side with an explicit non-additivity note rather than reconciled into a single number.

Derived figures: The 2022 DB plan count (46,509) is total plans (801,371) minus DC plans (754,862). The 401(k) concentration ratios, the participation reversal index, and the 2026 age-band savings multiple are derived from the primary figures shown, with inputs and limitations stated.

Data limitations: DOL treats 401(k) as a feature of DC profit-sharing plans, not a separate plan type, so no official “number of 401(k) plans” exists; this report uses “plans with a 401(k) feature.” The most recent full DOL Form 5500 aggregate bulletin covers plan year 2022, with 2023 active-participant data available in the September 2025 Historical Tables; Form 5500 data lag the current date by two to three years. The DOL website blocks automated document retrieval, so DOL aggregates here are cited through CRS tabulations of the same DOL microdata and through the DOL Historical Tables title as indexed; readers should confirm exact figures against the source PDFs.

Date of last update: 2026-06-29.

Source quality ranking

Tier 1 (primary government and official analysis):
– U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA, Private Pension Plan Bulletin and Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023 (Form 5500 aggregates).
– Internal Revenue Service, Notice 2025-67 (IR-2025-111) and the COLA increases table (2026 limits).
– Federal Reserve Board, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (household balances).
– Federal Reserve Financial Accounts of the United States, compiled in CRS R47699 (total assets).
– U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2024 (access and participation).
– Congressional Research Service tabulations of DOL Form 5500 microdata (IF12839, R47152, IF12007, IF13065). Classified Tier-1 as official nonpartisan analysis of primary federal data.

Tier 2 (credible industry research):
– Investment Company Institute, The US Retirement Market and Investment Company Fact Book (total market assets).
– Vanguard, How America Saves 2025 (recordkeeper balances).

Excluded: General-interest and vendor blog restatements of the above (used only to locate primary sources, not cited for figures); any “average 401(k) balance by age” table not traceable to SCF or a named recordkeeper; the DOL 2023 full-bulletin aggregate asset and plan-count totals, which could not be machine-verified to the source PDF and are therefore not stated as 2023 figures.

Citation format (per major statistic)

• Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Private Pension Plan Bulletin Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023, September 2025.
• Source: Congressional Research Service, Types of Private Sector Defined Contribution Plans (IF12839), citing DOL Form 5500 microdata, plan year 2022.
• Source: Internal Revenue Service, Notice 2025-67 (IR-2025-111), November 13, 2025.
• Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, October 2023.
• Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2024.
• Source: Investment Company Institute, The US Retirement Market, First Quarter 2026.
• Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 2025.

Journalist-friendly additions

Most quotable statistics

• 94.2% of U.S. private retirement plans were defined contribution plans in 2022 (DOL Form 5500 via CRS).
• 685,676 U.S. DC plans carried a 401(k) feature in 2022, holding $6.7 trillion (DOL Form 5500 via CRS).
• DC active participants rose from 11.2 million in 1975 to 96.4 million in 2023 (DOL EBSA).
• The 2026 401(k) deferral limit is $24,500, with an $11,250 catch-up for ages 60 to 63 (IRS Notice 2025-67).
• Among U.S. families with retirement accounts in 2022, the median balance was $86,900 (Federal Reserve SCF).

Data limitations

Form 5500 data lag two to three years; the newest full aggregate is plan year 2022. “401(k) plans” is shorthand for DC plans with a 401(k) feature. SCF, Vanguard, and ICI balance and asset figures use different populations and dates and cannot be added together. The DB plan count for 2022 is derived.

Downloadable dataset, recommended fields

metric_name, value, unit, plan_year_or_date, geography, plan_type (DB/DC/401k_feature/all), source_name, source_tier (1/2), source_url, methodology_note, is_derived (Y/N), derivation_formula, retrieved_date

150-word press summary

The U.S. private retirement system is now overwhelmingly a defined contribution system built on the 401(k). In plan year 2022, of 801,371 private DB and DC plans, 754,862 (94.2%) were defined contribution plans, and 685,676 of those carried a 401(k) feature, holding $6.7 trillion for 101.7 million participants, according to Congressional Research Service tabulations of Department of Labor Form 5500 data. The shift is historic: active defined benefit participants fell from 27.2 million in 1975 to 11.1 million in 2023, while defined contribution active participants rose from 11.2 million to 96.4 million. For 2026, the IRS set the 401(k) deferral limit at $24,500, with catch-ups up to $11,250 for ages 60 to 63 (Notice 2025-67). Yet balances remain modest: among U.S. families with retirement accounts in 2022, the median was $86,900, far below the $334,000 average, per the Federal Reserve.

Suggested headlines

1. “The 94.2% System: How the 401(k) Took Over U.S. Retirement”
2. “From 27 Million to 11 Million: The Half-Century Collapse of the Private Pension”
3. “2026 401(k) Limits: What the $24,500 Cap and the $11,250 Catch-Up Mean”
4. “685,676 Plans, $6.7 Trillion: The 401(k) by the Numbers”
5. “Median $86,900, Average $334,000: The Retirement Balance Gap Nobody Talks About”

10 FAQs

1. How many 401(k) plans are there in the U.S.? DOL does not count 401(k) as a separate plan type; 685,676 defined contribution plans carried a 401(k) feature in 2022 (DOL Form 5500 via CRS).
2. How many defined contribution plans are there? 754,862 in plan year 2022, 94.2% of all private plans (DOL Form 5500 via CRS).
3. How many defined benefit plans are there? A derived 46,509 in 2022 (801,371 total minus 754,862 DC) (CRS / DOL Form 5500).
4. How many people are in defined contribution plans? 121.3 million total participants and 92.6 million active in 2022 (DOL Form 5500 via CRS).
5. How much is held in defined contribution plans? $8.1 trillion in 2022 on a Form 5500 basis; ICI reports $13.8 trillion in DC assets and $9.9 trillion in 401(k) assets as of Q1 2026 on a broader basis (DOL; ICI).
6. What is the 2026 401(k) contribution limit? $24,500 for elective deferrals, up from $23,500 in 2025 (IRS Notice 2025-67).
7. What is the 2026 catch-up limit? $8,000 at age 50+, and $11,250 for ages 60 to 63 (IRS Notice 2025-67).
8. When does a 401(k) plan need an audit? Generally at 100 or more participants with account balances at the start of the plan year, subject to the 80-120 rule (DOL Form 5500 instructions).
9. What is the 80-120 rule? A plan with 80 to 120 participants at the start of the plan year may keep its prior-year filing status (small or large) (DOL Form 5500 instructions).
10. What is the average 401(k) balance? Among Vanguard DC participants the average was $148,153 and the median $38,176 at year-end 2024; the Federal Reserve reports a $334,000 mean and $86,900 median across all retirement accounts for families that hold them, 2022 (Vanguard; Federal Reserve SCF).

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA. Private Pension Plan Bulletin, Abstract of 2022 Form 5500 Annual Reports. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/researchers/statistics/retirement-bulletins/private-pension-plan-bulletins-abstract-2022.pdf
2. U.S. Department of Labor, EBSA. Private Pension Plan Bulletin Historical Tables and Graphs 1975-2023 (September 2025). https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/researchers/statistics/retirement-bulletins/private-pension-plan-bulletin-historical-tables-and-graphs.pdf
3. Congressional Research Service. Types of Private Sector Defined Contribution Plans (IF12839). https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/IF12839.html
4. Congressional Research Service. Private-Sector Defined Contribution Pension Plans: An Introduction (R47152). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47152
5. Congressional Research Service. A Visual Depiction of the Shift from DB to DC Pension Plans (IF12007). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12007
6. Congressional Research Service. Data on Private Sector Defined Benefit Plans, 2010-2022 (IF13065). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13065
7. Congressional Research Service. U.S. Retirement Assets: Data in Brief (R47699). https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R47699.html
8. Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111). https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
9. Internal Revenue Service. COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/cola-increases-for-dollar-limitations-on-benefits-and-contributions
10. Internal Revenue Service. Notice 2025-67. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf
11. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022 (2022 Survey of Consumer Finances), October 2023. https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/october-2023-changes-in-us-family-finances-from-2019-to-2022.htm
12. Congressional Research Service. Distribution of Retirement Account Balances: Analysis of the 2022 SCF (IF12928). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12928
13. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2024 (National Compensation Survey). https://www.bls.gov/ebs/publications/employee-benefits-in-the-united-states-march-2024.htm
14. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 15 percent of private industry workers had access to a defined benefit retirement plan (TED). https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/15-percent-of-private-industry-workers-had-access-to-a-defined-benefit-retirement-plan.htm
15. Investment Company Institute. The US Retirement Market, First Quarter 2026. https://www.ici.org/statistical-report/ret_25_q3
16. Investment Company Institute. 2025 Investment Company Fact Book, Chapter 8. https://www.icifactbook.org/pdf/2025-factbook-ch8.pdf
17. Vanguard. How America Saves 2025. https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/how_america_saves_report_2025.pdf
18. U.S. Department of Labor. Form 5500 audit requirement and participant-counting final rule, 88 FR 11793 (February 24, 2023). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/24/2023-02652/annual-reporting-and-disclosure

Related research

More original, sourced datasets from The Ledgerism Brief:

• The State of the American Taxpayer — Returns, AGI, refunds, and effective rates.
• State & Local Tax Burden Report — 50-state burden rankings and tax mix.
• Estate & Gift Tax Report — Exemptions, taxable estates, and revenue.