As of 2015, the Japan Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) was the world's largest pension fund manager, with total assets reaching US$1.163 trillion. In second place, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global recorded the largest assets at US$865 billion.
Willis Towers Watson, a consulting firm, reported that the total assets of 300 pension fund management companies/institutions collected in 2015 reached US$14.8 trillion. This represents approximately 42 percent of the estimated total assets of pension fund financial institutions worldwide.
In its September 2016 report titled "Pensions & Investments," Willis Towers Watson stated that these asset values had fallen by 3 percent compared to 2014. This asset decline was the first since the global financial crisis.
By region, the highest average asset growth over five years occurred in North America, reaching 4 percent. Other regions, such as Europe and Asia Pacific, saw growth of 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively.