
Germany struggles to fix its pension system
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, and German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (AP)
Germany's baby boomers are retiring. Those born between 1955 and 1969, when the birth rate was at an all-time high, are also living longer. The workforce is not growing at the same rate.
So who will pay the elderly's pensions? A considerable chunk of the federal budget goes into propping up the statuary pension system and the new Labor Minister,
Bärbel Bas
from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), has reiterated an idea of how to partially fix that.
The pension system in Germany, established in 1889, is based on a public retirement insurance scheme in which the pensions of current retirees are paid using insurance contributions from the currently employed, a system known as the "intergenerational contract."
The self-employed are not obliged to contribute; they can pay into the state pension system voluntarily or opt for a private pension.
The public pension scheme, also referred to as
statutory pension insurance
, is mandatory only for employees. The self-employed may pay into the state system or rely entirely on private insurance schemes. Civil servants have their own pension system. These two groups make up around 12% of the working population.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
GOCH 5% Zinsen sichern bevor Banken den Geldhahn zudrehen
Attraktive Bankzinsen
Undo
Many left-leaning politicians insist the only way to save the state-run system is by forcing all members of these well-paid groups of people to pay into the state retirement fund.
Bärbel Bas floats an old idea
The new Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Bärbel Bas, of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) has again floated this idea.
"We need to involve more people in the financing of the pension insurance," Bas told the newspapers of the
Funke Mediengruppe
at the weekend.
"Civil servants, members of parliament and self-employed people should also pay into the pension insurance scheme," she said.
Her proposal ruffled feathers with the SPD's coalition partners, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), who dismissed it as unsuitable as a short-term solution.
Germany's new coalition government has vowed not to cut
old-age pensions
, or increase pension contributions or raise the age of retirement beyond the planned increase to 67 by 2029.
Pensioners constitute a considerable and growing voter base, especially for the SPD, CDU and CSU.
But the outlook is grim: At the beginning of the 1960s, there were still six actively insured workers for every old-age pensioner. Now that ratio is 2:1, and sinking further.
Germany's statutory pension system, explained
A contribution of 18.6% of an employee's gross monthly salary goes into the state retirement fund, with the employee and the employer each paying half.
The monthly contribution cannot exceed €1,404.30.
The government expects the contribution rate to rise to 20% from 2028, going up to 22.3% by 2035, where it expects it to remain until 2045.
The current "pension level" — the amount paid to retirees each month — is 48% of the average monthly salary in Germany, a percentage the federal government wants to guarantee in law until 2040 with the "level protection clause."
In 2023, the average old age monthly pension in Germany was €1,550, according to the German Pension Insurance.
What if the state pension isn't enough?
Current figures from German Pension Insurance show that 61% of pensioners receive less than €1,200 net per month from their statutory state pension. One in three pensioners receive less than €750 net.
Many women in Germany receive much lower pensions, or none at all. That's because they worked in low-paid jobs, and many also spent years at home as a stay-at-home wife, often not returning to work long after having children.
Reentering the labor market after many years isn't easy, and for many a pension isn't enough to make ends meet. They either work to supplement their pensions or receive state welfare benefits.
In addition to the government-run statutory pension insurance system, there are also private company plans and several options for private individual retirement investment plans.
As well as periods in contributory employment, time spent raising children, in education, unemployment or illness also count toward pensions.
Foreigners who worked and paid contributions in Germany for more than 60 months are entitled to receive a German pension after reaching the official German pensionable age
Awaiting new proposals
The new government has agreed to have a pension commission to be set up and make reform proposals. This would now happen swiftly, according to Bas.
The previous Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) had suggested that the government should take out a loan of initially €12 billion annually and invest it in the stock market. By the mid-2030s, Lindner said the stocks should be worth at least €200 billion to help support the statutory pension scheme.
At the time, the SPD was lukewarm on the idea, the CDU/CSU which was then in opposition, dismissed the proposal as insignificant.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Long-pending central govt's infra projects in Belagavi back on track
Belagavi: Several long-pending central govt's infrastructure projects in and around Belagavi are finally gaining momentum after years of delay, primarily due to land acquisition hurdles. The breakthrough comes with the combined efforts of DC Mohammad Roshan and Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar , who took these stalled projects as a top priority. Key among them is the much-awaited Belagavi-Dharwad railway line via Kittur, a 73-km project sanctioned in 2019 during the tenure of former MP and MoS for railways, the late Suresh Angadi. Despite funding from the Centre, the project was held up for years due to land-related issues. However, DC Roshan recently announced that land acquisition is now complete, and the work is expected to commence shortly. The Halaga-Macche bypass highway, a vital route connecting Pune-Bengaluru NH-4 and Belagavi-Goa national highway, sanctioned in 2009, also faced prolonged delay due to legal land disputes. With the district administration actively mediating and convincing landowners, the impasse has been resolved, and construction is underway. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Another major infrastructure project, the Belagavi Ring Road was sanctioned in 2018. The Rs 3,800 crore project to be executed in three phases, received Rs 1,622 crore for the first phase of 34 km. DC Roshan recently confirmed that 80% of the land acquisition is now complete. This ambitious project, sanctioned under the Bharatmala project, will help resolve the traffic congestion in Belagavi city. "Most of these projects were delayed despite being sanctioned, because of land-related issues. After I became MP, I prioritised these issues, met Union ministers, held review meetings with officials, and visited the sites. Today, we are seeing the results. I expect the required land to be fully acquired in the next 2-3 months and the tender process to begin within 5-6 months," said MP Jagadish Shettar. He credited DC Mohammad Roshan for playing a vital role in resolving bureaucratic and on-ground challenges related to land acquisition. In addition, Shettar informed that land acquisition for Belagavi-Hunagund-Raichur highway, a Rs 1,452 crore project, has also reached near completion. He further assured that the new terminal at Belagavi airport will be ready by March 2026, marking a step toward upgrading the facility to international standards.


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mandya dist witnessed economic growth in past 2 years: MLA
Mandya: Mandya district underwent significant economic transformation over the past two years and is progressing in the fields of social development, education, and employment, said P Ravikumar, MLA of Mandya assembly constituency. Speaking at the inauguration of a talent felicitation programme held at BR Ambedkar Bhavan on Tuesday, organised to honour 700 students from the Mandya who achieved 90% or above in the SSLC and PUC examinations for the year 2024-25, Ravikumar said earlier people went to Bengaluru or Mysuru to purchase a car. But today, we can buy anything we need right here in Mandya." "Entrepreneurs are showing interest in the district, and in the last two years, around 3,000 to 4,000 unemployed youth secured jobs. Economically, the district is reaching new heights," he said. "We live in competitive times. Scoring 90% marks alone is not sufficient any more; students must gain deeper knowledge to succeed in competitive exams. Those who are being honoured today for scoring high marks in SSLC and PUC must continue to excel at every stage," he advised the students. Deputy commissioner Kumara stated that achieving success is important, but maintaining it is equally vital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Superintendent of police Mallikarjun Baladandi raised concern about the rising number of child marriages in Mandya. "It is unfortunate that children, especially girls, fall victim to child marriage due to family pressure or other reasons. Parents must oppose child marriage and educate their daughters," he urged. Adichunchanagiri mutt seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami said, "Just like saplings, the mindset of children grows based on the kind of values, discipline, and intelligence imparted to them from a young age. Hence, parents should raise their children with good manners, values, and character." "The responsibility of upholding the trust of your parents and teachers who support you at every stage of education is now yours. You are the light of your life—strive to become prominent names in society," he told students. Muda chairman Nayeem, deputy director of pre-university education department Chaluvaiah, deputy director of school education department Shivaramegowda, and Govt Employees' Association president Nagesh were present.


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tender process completed for M'luru-B'luru high-speed corridor: MP
Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta said that the tender process for the proposed Mangaluru-Bengaluru High-Speed Express Corridor was completed by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), and the work to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) will commence soon. Providing information about the high-speed corridor project, Chowta said that a letter was received from Union minister Nitin Gadkari regarding the construction of the fastest road corridor between Mangaluru and Bengaluru. A contract for preparing the detailed project report for this project was awarded on April 30, and it is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete the DPR, he said. "The ambitious project, which is crucial for comprehensive development, including commercial activities in Dakshina Kannada, including Mangaluru, has taken a significant step forward under the govt of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This high-speed expressway is expected to have four to eight lanes and will pass through Hassan. Once constructed, the highway will enhance the transportation infrastructure between the two major cities. The improved route will reduce traffic congestion and significantly cut down travel time between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, providing a safe, efficient, and all-weather connectivity between major cities in Karnataka," the MP said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Düsseldorf: GEERS sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung GEERS Undo The project will aid in the development of not just Mangaluru, but also south Karnataka and surrounding cities. It will further benefit the growth of Mangaluru's port, tourism, and commercial activities, he said. "Over the past year, I was continuously working on the implementation of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru High-Speed Corridor project, meeting several times with Union minister Nitin Gadkari, home minister Amit Shah, the secretary of the MoRTH, Umashankar, and the chief secretary of the state, Shalini Rajneesh, among other officials and ministers. Efforts and follow-ups are being made in all possible ways to realise this project. Overall, if this major expressway in Karnataka becomes a reality, the travel time between Bengaluru and Mangaluru is expected to be significantly reduced from the current 7-8 hours. Additionally, if all stages of the project proceed as anticipated, construction of the expressway is likely to commence soon," the MP said. Further, the MP said the railway ministry is also preparing to draft a DPR for a separate rail route on the Shiradi Ghat stretch. "Since Shiradi Ghat is in a sensitive ecological zone of the Western Ghats, a request was made to form a joint committee of the Railway Board and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to explore the possibilities of developing road and rail routes in parallel. An integrated plan will facilitate approval from the forest and environmental departments," he added.