A Manulife survey of more than 9,000 adults across nine Asian markets finds that most people think that being financially independent and self-reliant is more important than wealth transfer in its own right.

More than 80 per cent of adults across Asia say that maintaining independence and financial freedom matters more than passing on wealth, according to the Manulife Asia Care Survey 2026. Nearly nine in 10 said their main goal in a longer life is to remain self-sufficient for as long as possible.

The survey, based on responses from more than 9,000 adults, found that respondents estimate 13 to 14 years of later life may involve needing care or financial support. The desire to leave independence as a legacy was strongest in Indonesia (93 per cent) and Vietnam (89 per cent), and lowest, although still a majority, in Japan (63 per cent).

Respondents said they allocate 68 per cent of their financial assets towards their own independence, against 32 per cent earmarked for inheritance. Only 19 per cent expect to rely on their children for financial support in retirement or care. Some 51 per cent use investments to fund retirement and care needs, a proportion that falls even more in Japan (30 per cent), China (40 per cent) and Vietnam (43 per cent).

Manulife, the Canada-based insurance and financial services group, said 74 per cent of respondents plan to continue working beyond age 65. 

“Across Asia, people are redefining what it means to leave something behind for the next generation,” Steve Finch, chief executive officer of Manulife Asia, said. “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.”

The survey reflects financial institutions, including wealth managers, using such findings to showcase their own services, fastening onto trends such as ageing, wealth transfer, the need for targeted advice, and technology. In March, A Sun Life survey of 3,006 people across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam found that 69 per cent of them expected to work beyond retirement age, often by choice. An HSBC-commissioned study of more than 11,000 affluent individuals across 11 markets found that four in 10 affluent Asians are off track on retirement goals.