What UK annuity providers are currently publishing: the market average by age, what a £100,000 pot buys on eight different bases, and how the income changes with the size of the pot. Every figure below is the provider’s own published example, with the source and the date it applies to. Information only — this page does not recommend an annuity, a provider or a rate.
Compiled by Phil Handley, DipPFS · Last updated 7 September 2026 · Sources rechecked weekly
Standard Life (Phoenix Group) publishes an Annuity Rate Tracker of average rates across the market at ages 60, 65 and 70. Its March 2026 reading, published 22 April 2026, was:
| Age | Average rate, March 2026 | Average rate, December 2025 | Income on a £100,000 pot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 6.85% | 6.74% | £6,850 |
| 65 | 7.62% | 7.51% | £7,620 |
| 70 | 8.35% | 8.25% | £8,350 |
Standard Life's Annuity Rate Tracker monitors average annuity rates across the market at ages 60, 65 and 70. Standard Life credits the underlying rate data to AMS Retirement. The right-hand column is the tracker rate applied to a £100,000 pot, which is arithmetic rather than a published figure.
Legal & General publishes annual income from a £100,000 pot across ages and annuity types. These are Legal & General’s own rates, correct as at August 2026, not a whole-of-market comparison. Lifetime annuity with a 10-year guaranteed minimum payment period. Smoker figures assume 10 cigarettes a day. RPI rows are inflation-linked.
| Annuity type | Age 55 | Age 60 | Age 65 | Age 70 | Age 75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single life, no health issues | £6,376 | £6,663 | £7,280 | £7,847 | £8,640 |
| Joint life, no health issues | £6,030 | £6,369 | £6,646 | £7,231 | £7,877 |
| Single life, smoker | £6,624 | £6,945 | £7,609 | £8,248 | £9,096 |
| Joint life, first life smoker | £6,164 | £6,525 | £6,825 | £7,459 | £8,151 |
| Single life, no health issues, RPI-linked | £3,888 | £4,328 | £4,915 | £5,465 | £6,437 |
| Joint life, no health issues, RPI-linked | £3,620 | £3,975 | £4,394 | £5,034 | £5,717 |
| Single life, smoker, RPI-linked | £4,123 | £4,598 | £5,226 | £5,843 | £6,884 |
| Joint life, first life smoker, RPI-linked | £3,746 | £4,119 | £4,559 | £5,246 | £5,976 |
Two things stand out in that table. Adding a spouse’s income reduces the starting figure, and linking the income to RPI reduces it a great deal more — at 65 the inflation-linked single-life figure is £4,915 against £7,280 level. The RPI income then rises each year while the level one does not.
Aviva publishes annual income across a range of pot sizes. undefined Published 17 July 2026.
| Pension pot | Annual income | Implied rate |
|---|---|---|
| £10,000 | £630.60 | 6.31% |
| £30,000 | £1,975.50 | 6.59% |
| £50,000 | £3,404.55 | 6.81% |
| £100,000 | £7,149.19 | 7.15% |
| £300,000 | £20,834.85 | 6.94% |
| £500,000 | £33,804.39 | 6.76% |
| £700,000 | £47,510.68 | 6.79% |
The implied rate column is the published income divided by the pot, worked out here rather than published by Aviva. It is not constant across pot sizes: on these figures it runs from 6.31% on the £10,000 pot to 7.15% on the £100,000 pot.
The tables above show four of the factors directly. Age raises the rate because the income is expected to be paid for fewer years. Health and lifestyle can raise it for the same reason — Legal & General’s smoker rows are higher than its standard rows at every age. Adding a spouse’s income lowers the starting figure. Linking the income to inflation lowers it substantially at outset.
Two more sit behind all of them. Long-term interest rates drive annuity pricing generally, which is why the market average has moved as much as it has over the past few years. And providers price differently from each other on the same person, which is the reason the three tables on this page do not agree.
You are not obliged to buy an annuity from the provider that holds your pension, and you do not have to use the whole pot. See how drawdown and annuities compare for what you give up and gain either way, and how annuities work for the mechanics.
There is no single annuity rate. Standard Life's Annuity Rate Tracker put the market average for a healthy 65-year-old at 7.62% in March 2026, up from 7.51% in December 2025. The rate any individual is offered depends on age, health, the options chosen and the provider.
Legal & General's published figures for August 2026 show £7,280 a year from a £100,000 pot for a single-life annuity at 65 with no health issues and a 10-year guarantee. The same pot buys £4,915 if the income is set to rise with RPI, and £7,609 for a smoker. Other providers quote different figures.
Yes. On the Standard Life tracker the market average rose from 6.85% at 60 to 8.35% at 70 in March 2026. Legal & General's own table shows the same pattern across ages 55 to 75.
Because the income rises every year afterwards. In Legal & General's August 2026 table a single-life annuity at 65 starts at £7,280 if it stays level, or £4,915 if it rises with RPI.
No. Every figure on this page is an example rate published by the provider named beside it, on the assumptions stated. A real quote depends on your date of birth, postcode, health and lifestyle, and the options you choose.
Every figure on this page was taken from the following, and is rechecked automatically each week:
Important: This page reproduces annuity rates published by the providers named, on the assumptions each of them states. It is general information, not financial advice, and it does not recommend an annuity, a provider or a rate. The figures are examples rather than quotes and will not be the rate you are offered. Buying a lifetime annuity is generally irreversible. If you are 50 or over, Pension Wise from MoneyHelper offers a free, impartial government-backed appointment covering your options; a recommendation for your own circumstances requires regulated financial advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Compare Drawdown is operated by Arthur Browns Wealth Management Ltd (FCA No. 825843).