In 2017, the U.S. DB plan discount rates ranged between 3.27% and 3.61%. The range in 2016 was 3.53% to 4.11%. Also in 2017, the U.K. discount rate was 2.63%, down from 2.77% the year before, and the range for the other international plans in 2017 was 1.78% to 3.39%. The 2016 range for those plans was 1.85% to 3.81%.
As of Dec. 31, U.K. pension plan assets totaled $5.906 billion, while projected benefit obligations totaled $4.893 billion, for a funding ratio of 120.7%, up from 116.4% the previous year. Also as of Dec. 31, the U.K. DB plan's actual allocation was 71.7% fixed income, 15.4% alternatives, 6.9% global equities, 3.5% cash and cash equivalents, and 2.5% real estate.
As of Dec. 31, U.S. pension plan assets totaled $1.958 billion, while projected benefit obligations totaled $3.155 billion, for a funding ratio of 62.1%, up from 58% the year before. The actual asset allocation of the U.S. plans as of Dec. 31 was 28% fixed income, 23.3% domestic equities, 18.4% international equities, 17.6% alternatives, 5.7% equity derivatives, 4.2% real estate and real estate investment trusts, and 2.8% cash and cash equivalents.
As of Dec. 31, the other international DB plan assets totaled $1.256 billion, while projected benefit obligations totaled $1.401 billion, for a funding ratio of 89.7%, up from 87.7% the year before. For the other international plans, the actual allocation as of Dec. 31 was 65% fixed income, 31.5% global equities, 2.1% alternatives, 0.9% cash and cash equivalents, and 0.5% REITs.
