Pension Awareness and Savings Preferences Among Upper-Secondary School Students in Poland

<ns3:p>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction:&lt;/strong&gt; This article examines pension awareness among young people in Poland and their preferences for securing income in old age, in the context of the growing challenges facing pension systems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim:&lt;/strong&gt; The study aims to assess how well young people are prepared for retirement and to identify preferred methods of saving for old age among those entering the labour market.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods:&lt;/strong&gt; The study combines forecasts of future pension benefits with a survey of 204 upper-secondary school students. Data were collected using a questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, attitudes towards the pension system, knowledge of retirement savings options and investment risk preferences.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The findings indicate low pension awareness among young people, with concerns about future financial security focused mainly on the 35–49 age group, limited knowledge of available saving instruments, a lack of protective measures despite recognising the shared responsibility of the state and individuals, and diverse approaches to investment risk.&lt;/p&gt;</ns3:p>