Overview

• Destatis’ EU‑SILC 2024 results put the median net equivalized income for people 65+ in retirement at €1,990 per month versus about €2,300 for the total population, up 9% since 2021 compared with 11% for all residents.
• Incomes are highly skewed, with the top 20% above roughly €2,870 per month while another fifth falls between €1,400 and about €1,790, covering a cohort of 16.3 million retirees and pensioners.
• Households composed only of retired persons derive on average 92% of their income from pensions, with 5% from capital income, 2% from work, and 1% from transfers.
• Women’s average monthly pension income is about €1,720 versus €2,320 for men, a 25.8% gap that widens to 36.9% when survivor benefits are excluded, though the gap has narrowed since 2021.
• Roughly 739,000 people received basic old‑age support at the end of 2024, an increase of 7.1% year over year and 31% since 2020, partly attributed to more eligible Ukrainians, bringing the share to 4.1% of those past the age threshold.