Overview
- A government pension commission has proposed raising the statutory 'rulealtersgrenze' beyond 67 from 2032, with exact ages to be announced at least five years before they take effect.
- The commission recommends a 2:1 rule that splits each year of gained life expectancy into eight months longer work and four months longer pension, a formula that modelled as roughly a six‑month rise every ten years under current data.
- An Institute for the German Economy (IW) report in mid‑July 2026 found about 19.3 million baby boomers in 2024 and estimated roughly 6 million were in old‑age pension by 2024, including about 1.1 million taking early retirement.
- The IW warns that early retirement options have kept the average retirement age notably below the statutory threshold and endorses removing penalty‑free early retirement to raise the real entry age.
- Federal leaders have signalled intent to enact the commission’s package but unions have warned of resistance, leaving the timing, legal details and possible exceptions subject to political negotiation.