Overview
- The Federal Statistical Office released microcensus data on Tuesday showing households with retirees aged 65+ have a median net monthly income of €2,330 nationally, €2,270 in the East and €2,350 in the West.
- Those figures show about 93 percent of retiree income comes from pensions on average, with Eastern households relying more on statutory pensions (around 96 percent) while Western households get a larger share from assets and homeownership.
- Nearly one in five retirees aged 65+ faces relative poverty, with a national poverty-risk rate of about 18.9 percent, a figure that is similar in East (18.5%) and West (19.0%).
- A government pension commission recommended in June 2026 ending the abschlagsfreie 'Rente mit 63' for people with 45 contribution years, a move that would affect millions and is now politically contested as lawmakers weigh fairness and fiscal relief.
- The broader fiscal picture remains uncertain because the 2025 pension report projects a nominal 45–47 percent rise in the pension value by 2039 but that forecast does not guarantee real purchasing-power gains and must be balanced against rising contribution rates and demographic pressure.