Pension comparison: This is how much Germans receive on average
Created: 01/13/2023 13:34
By: Patricia Huber
When it comes to pension levels in Germany, there are major differences, especially between men and women.
Who gets how much on average at a glance.
Munich – Retirement is associated with a major concern for many employees: poverty in old age.
According to the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, one in five retirees currently has a pension of less than 500 euros a month.
Their situation has now been exacerbated by rising electricity and gas costs and high inflation.
Pension: This is how much German seniors receive on average
But how much money do German pensioners have on average per month?
In 2021, the German pension insurance paid out around 858,000 new old-age pensions, including old-age pensions for long-term insured persons.
Differences in the monthly payment can be found above all between women and men and between the old and the new federal states.
In comparison, those who were insured for a particularly long time – i.e. with at least 45 years of contributions – received significantly more money.
Average pension of women and men 2021 | |
|---|---|
Old states | Women: 809 euros, men: 1218 euros |
New federal states | Women: 1070 euros, men: 1141 euros |
Statistics of the German pension insurance (as of June 30, 2022)
Men in the old federal states received an average of EUR 1,664 after 45 years of contributions, while women received EUR 1,220.
In the new federal states, men received an average of 1350 euros and women 1286 euros.
Pension: Women in particular lack insurance years
If you look at the average number of years of contributions, it quickly becomes clear that far from all retirees reach 45 years of insurance.
In particular, women from the old federal states were furthest away from this on average in 2021.
The reason why women in western and eastern Germany receive lower pensions on average and have shorter contribution periods is mostly due to starting a family.
gender | Contribution years on average |
|---|---|
men (old federal states) | 40.68 years |
women (old federal states) | 28.59 years |
men (new federal states) | 44.39 years |
women (new federal states) | 41.63 years |
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Statistics of the German pension insurance (as of June 30, 2022)
"Our results suggest that starting a family is the main factor influencing the difference in pensions, although not the only one," economist Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi told the
editorial network Germany (RND).
(ph)
