Overview
- A Pestel-Institut calculation for the IG BAU union estimates about 5.1 million Babyboomers will retire on less than €800 a month in statutory pension between 2026 and 2036, raising the risk of housing poverty.
- A YouGov survey for the charity Lichtblick reports that 70% of Germans worry about money in retirement and 75% of 18- to 29-year-olds feel concerned, with most expecting the problem to grow in the next decade.
- Housing poverty means rent and utilities consume so much of a small pension that little remains for food, medicine, transport, or social life, which can push older people to move or seek public aid.
- IG BAU says roughly 40% of older workers rely only on the state pension and notes that pensioners on basic assistance (Grundsicherung) rose from 2.5% to 4.3% in 15 years, with North Rhine-Westphalia flagged as a hotspot.
- The federal government says it will start preparing a broad pension reform this summer, while unions and social groups press for stronger lower-end pensions, better wages, and more affordable housing.