Officials receive on average much more than ordinary citizens.
Recently, Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the state pension is only a "basic protection." After sharp criticism, he clarified that the state pension still remains the main support for retirees.
While the government prepares new reforms, let’s take a look at how things really are with money for German retirees today.
The state pension is the main support in old age. For most people, the state pension is the most important source of income. According to an official report, more than half of the income of elderly households in Germany comes from the state pension system.
Many retirees have other sources of income: corporate pensions, personal savings, rental income, or interest on deposits. But this is just an addition to the main income. The state pension remains the base, and this is unlikely to change in the coming years.
Looking at the amount of pensions, it is evident that men and women receive very different sums. However, the average figures do not accurately reflect reality, because the statistics include "minimum pensions" — which can be obtained after just 5 years of insurance contributions, and they significantly lower the average figure.
Much more indicative of the real situation are the pensions of those who have paid contributions for many years. For men with at least 35 years of service, the average pension in 2024 was 1532 euros per month. For those who worked for 45 years or more, it was 1811 euros.
For women, the figures are significantly lower. With 35 years of service, they receive an average of 1036 euros per month, and with 45 years of service, 1437 euros. These figures show that the gap between men and women in pensions persists, even if both have worked for many years.
Even greater differences are noticeable when looking at the pensions of civil servants. Officials receive on average much more than ordinary retirees.
For example, federal officials (those who worked directly in federal agencies) at the beginning of 2023 received a pension: men over 65 years old — 3480 euros per month (before taxes), while women — 2980 euros. At the state level (among former teachers, police officers, financial workers), pensions are even higher: men — on average 3820 euros, and women — 3150 euros gross. However, from these amounts, contributions for health insurance and long-term care insurance still need to be deducted.
The German government believes that future retirees will receive more. Reasons: the pension level is fixed until 2031, and payments from the private pension schemes Riester will also increase. Let’s take an ordinary retiree who has paid contributions for 45 years. According to forecasts, in 2026 he will receive: a state pension — 1904 euros per month (before taxes), plus 180 euros from the Riester pension.
By 2039, his state pension will increase to 2696 euros, and the payments from Riester will rise to 465 euros per month. As a result, the level of pension provision will rise from 52.6% to 54.3%. This means that the pension will replace just over half of the previous salary.
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