Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) are opening at the rate of one every day around the world.
In the past 12 months, 395 QROPS have opened in 19 financial centres, while 32 have been delisted in seven.
Australia leads the way for new QROPS, with a net 277 new QROPS, while India tops the delisted scheme table with 16 pensions no longer open for transfers.
The number of QROPS worldwide has increased by 28 in the past two weeks to a new high of 3,716.
The figures come from the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) QROPS List, which is published every 14 days.
QROPS pension transfers
The figures are net because although Australia shows an increase of 277 pensions in the past 12 months, this figure is the current number open less any delisted in the period. The same applies to the other 44 financial centres offering QROPS.
HMRC does not issue figures on the amount of money transferred by expats or international workers from UK pensions to QROPS.
The latest indication from HMRC on the number of individual transfers to QROPS is that around 10,000 retirement savers switch their pensions offshore every year.
The next HMRC QROPS List is published on April 1, 2015.
| Top 10 QROPS Tables - March 15, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Count of QROPS pensions | ||
| Values | ||
| Jurisdiction | March 13, 2014 | March 15, 2015 |
| Australia | 1367 | 1644 |
| Ireland | 743 | 784 |
| Isle of Man | 236 | 235 |
| Jersey | 134 | 140 |
| Switzerland | 138 | 139 |
| Netherlands | 107 | 119 |
| Canada | 100 | 93 |
| Guernsey | 65 | 90 |
| New Zealand | 55 | 57 |
| Germany | 56 | 55 |
| Total: | 3001 | 3356 |
| Market share by number of QROPS | ||
| Jurisdiction | March 13, 2014 | March15, 2015 |
| Australia | 40.77% | 44.24% |
| Ireland | 22.16% | 21.10% |
| Isle of Man | 7.04% | 6.32% |
| Jersey | 4.00% | 3.77% |
| Switzerland | 4.12% | 3.74% |
| Netherlands | 3.19% | 3.20% |
| Canada | 2.98% | 2.50% |
| Guernsey | 1.94% | 2.42% |
| New Zealand | 1.64% | 1.53% |
| Germany | 1.67% | 1.48% |
| Total: | 89.50% | 90.31% |
| QROPS additions | ||
| Jurisdiction | Change since March 13, 2014 | |
| Australia | 277 | |
| Ireland | 41 | |
| Guernsey | 25 | |
| Gibraltar | 13 | |
| Netherlands | 12 | |
| Jersey | 6 | |
| Malta | 3 | |
| Italy | 3 | |
| Luxembourg | 2 | |
| New Zealand | 2 | |
| Belgium | 2 | |
| Latvia | 2 | |
| Denmark | 1 | |
| South Africa | 1 | |
| Falkland Islands | 1 | |
| Switzerland | 1 | |
| Liechtenstein | 1 | |
| Kosovo | 1 | |
| Kenya | 1 | |
| Total: | 395 | |
| Delisted QROPS | ||
| Jurisdiction | Change since March 13, 2014 | |
| India | -16 | |
| Canada | -7 | |
| France | -4 | |
| USA | -2 | |
| Isle of Man | -1 | |
| Sweden | -1 | |
| Germany | -1 | |
| Total: | -32 | |
