Overview

• Official data reveal that over 25% of retirees who contributed for 45 years receive less than €1,300 per month, while the average pension stands at €1,668
• Pension levels vary sharply by region, with Western retirees averaging €1,729 and Eastern €1,527 and a range from €1,787 in Hamburg down to €1,491 in Thuringia
• A pronounced gender gap persists, as men with 45 years of contributions collect an average of €1,778 compared with €1,449 for women
• Die Linke’s Dietmar Bartsch condemned the results as an “Armutszeugnis für die Politik” and joined trade unions in calling for a comprehensive reform of the statutory pension system
• The government approved a 3.74% pension increase effective July and introduced draft legislation to maintain the pension ratio at 48% of average earnings