Plan

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System

State

Oklahoma

Funded Ratio

85.5%

Assets

$10.72B

Members

72,331

Health Grade: B — Adequately funded — meeting most funding benchmarks

FY2023 data Grade B Public Plans Database

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System

Funded ratio, unfunded liability, member counts, ARC coverage, and 23-year financial history for Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System — sourced from the Public Plans Database (Boston College CRR) and cross-checked against actuarial valuations.

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By Kiznis Studio Editorial · June 2026 · Oklahoma · General State Plan · Data through FY2023

Financial Health Grade

Adequately funded — meeting most funding benchmarks

Funded Ratio

85.5%

actuarial assets / liabilities

Unfunded Liability

$1.81B

actuarial shortfall

Total Members

72,331

active + retired + vested

1-Year Return

10.0%

net investment return

2.2pp vs 5-yr avg

5-Year Avg Return

7.8%

annualized, net of fees

ARC Payment

25.8%

of actuarially required contribution

How Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System Funded Ratio Compares

Plan Funded Ratio 85.5%

National avg

A ratio of 85.5% compared against the national public-pension average of 73.5%.

Healthy Threshold

Plans above 80% are generally considered adequately funded by NASRA standards.

Participant Composition

The active-to-retiree ratio is a leading indicator of long-term plan sustainability — plans with more retirees than active contributors face mounting cash-flow pressure as benefit payments outpace incoming contributions.

Investment Policy Mix

Public pension plans report their asset allocation in Form 5500 Schedule H Part I disclosures. Equity-heavy mixes capture market upside but introduce volatility; fixed-income tilts protect funded status during downturns at the cost of long-run return.

Historical Funded Ratio

Year	Funded Ratio	Assets	Unfunded	Members
2024	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	N/A	$10.72B	N/A	72,331
2022	85.5%	$9.99B	$1.69B	73,015
2021	83.8%	$12.07B	$2.33B	74,195
2020	82.8%	$9.72B	$2.02B	75,376
2019	82.7%	$9.59B	$2.00B	76,511
2018	69.3%	$9.36B	$4.15B	77,613
2017	63.8%	$8.91B	$5.06B	79,403
2016	58.6%	$8.44B	$5.95B	81,501
2015	56.4%	$8.64B	$6.67B	82,460
2014	57.7%	$8.57B	$6.27B	81,451
2013	57.7%	$7.44B	$5.46B	80,003
2012	57.6%	$6.82B	$5.02B	78,329
2011	58.2%	$6.84B	$4.91B	75,491
2010	58.9%	$5.77B	$4.03B	77,503
2009	64.1%	$5.17B	$2.90B	78,270
2008	65.2%	$6.26B	$3.33B	76,733
2007	69.6%	$6.64B	$2.90B	75,582
2006	71.8%	$5.82B	$2.29B	75,412
2005	77.1%	$5.50B	$1.64B	73,118

What the Data Says About Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System reports a funded ratio of 85.5% as of fiscal year 2023, earning a financial health grade of B in the Public Plans Database. The plan holds $10.72B in market assets against an unfunded liability of $1.81B. As a General State plan operating under Oklahoma sponsorship, it covers 72,331 members (28,671 active contributors, 36,899 retirees drawing benefits). These figures aggregate from Form 5500 filings submitted to the Department of Labor and actuarial valuations reported through NASRA.

A funded ratio above 80% signals that Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System has substantial assets to meet projected obligations, placing it above the national public-pension average of roughly 72–75%. Employer contributions covered 25.8% of the Annual Required Contribution in the most recent reporting cycle, while the plan posted a 5-year average investment return of 7.8%. The relationship between contribution adequacy and investment performance determines whether the unfunded liability narrows or expands year over year.

For Oklahoma taxpayers and plan members, the $1.81B unfunded gap represents the actuarial shortfall that must eventually be closed through a combination of contributions, investment returns, or benefit modifications. Unlike private-sector pensions governed by ERISA and backstopped by the PBGC, public plans like Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System rely on the full faith and credit of Oklahoma — meaning funding shortfalls flow through to state and local budgets rather than a federal insurance program. This information summarizes official Public Plans Database disclosures and is provided for research and educational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, or retirement-planning advice; active and retired members with specific benefit questions should consult their plan administrator directly.

Membership

28,671

Active Members

36,899

Retirees

72,331

Total Members

Plan Details

Plan Type: General State
State: Oklahoma
Market Assets: $10.72B
ARC Payment: 25.8%

Source: Public Plans Database (PPD)
Boston College CRR / NASRA

Other Oklahoma Plans

Oklahoma City Employee Retirement System 127.3%
Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System 99.1%
Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System 97.5%
Oklahoma Municipal Employees 80.2%
Oklahoma Fire 79.9%

All Oklahoma plans →

Related Resources

Pension Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System fully funded?

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System has a funded ratio of 85.5% as of FY2023, earning a health grade of B. A funded ratio of 100% means the plan has enough assets to cover all projected liabilities. Ratios above 80% are generally considered adequately funded; ratios below 60% indicate significant underfunding and risk to future benefits.

What happens if Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System runs out of money?

Public pension plans like Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System are backed by the sponsoring government entity — in this case Oklahoma. If a plan's assets are insufficient, the state or local government is typically required to make up the difference through increased contributions, benefit adjustments, or tax measures. Unlike private pensions, public pensions are not insured by the PBGC, but they do carry the full faith and credit of the sponsoring government.

What does a funded ratio of 85.5% mean?

A funded ratio of 85.5% means that Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System currently has assets equal to 85.5% of its projected benefit obligations. The unfunded liability — the gap between assets and liabilities — stands at $1.81B. This is considered adequately funded.

How does Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System compare to other public pensions?

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System is a General State plan in Oklahoma serving 72,331 members. Nationally, the average funded ratio for public pension plans tracked by the Public Plans Database is approximately 72–75%. Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System's funded ratio of 85.5% places it above the national average, reflecting strong fiscal management.

How many members does Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System have?

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System covers 72,331 total members, including 28,671 active employees and 36,899 retirees currently receiving benefits. The ratio of active members to retirees is a key indicator of plan sustainability — when the number of retirees grows relative to active contributors, funding pressure increases.

What is the ARC payment percentage for Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System?

Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System pays 25.8% of its Annual Required Contribution (ARC). Consistently underpaying the ARC accelerates the growth of unfunded liabilities and places future benefits at greater risk. Employer contribution patterns are tracked annually in the Public Plans Database.

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Data sourced from official Public Plans Database and actuarial valuations from federal and state pension systems. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Public Plans Database (PPD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page

U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic + housing + income data. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage + employment by occupation. bls.gov/oes
BEA Regional Economic Accounts — GDP + personal income by state/metro. bea.gov/data/regional
U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns — establishment + employment by industry. census.gov/cbp
IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-return aggregate data. irs.gov/statistics
data.gov — U.S. federal open-data portal — discovery layer for additional federal sources. data.gov