Overview

• Without paid contributions there is generally no regular statutory old‑age pension, and at least five contribution years are required to accrue pension points, with limited exceptions such as pension splitting after divorce.
• The Deutsche Rentenversicherung advises checking eligibility for Grundsicherung if total monthly income is under €1,062, with partner income and assets considered and applications handled by local social welfare offices.
• For 2025 the basic security standard rate is €563 per month for singles and €506 per partner for couples, with appropriate housing, heating, and health insurance costs covered separately.
• As of December 31, 2024, 42% of about 19 million old‑age pensioners received under €1,000 a month, while the average pension paid in 2024 was €1,154 overall (men €1,405; women €955).
• Birth cohorts 1948, 1949, 1950, and 1952 are statistically disadvantaged due to years with lower pension level ratios, and declines in this ratio reflect relative changes rather than outright cuts in nominal payments.