How accurate is this pension projection?

It's a 30-40 year extrapolation that holds your CURRENT salary constant. Real outcomes depend on: (1) your future salary trajectory (10-50% higher than today is normal over 25 years), (2) pension reforms during your career (every 4-5 years some parameter changes), (3) inflation between now and retirement, (4) your country's specific revaluation rules, (5) any career breaks, parental leave, sickness, unemployment. Treat the number as ±20-30% accuracy. The DRV / CNAV / INSS annual statement is far more accurate because it uses YOUR actual career history.

Should I work longer or retire earlier?

Working longer significantly increases pension in most EU systems: DE +0.5%/month past standard age (Zuschlag); FR surcote +1.25%/trimestre extra; IT higher coefficient at later age; ES demora +4%/year; PL much higher (life expectancy divisor drops). Conversely early retirement is HEAVILY penalised: DE -0.3%/month early; FR décote -1.25%/trimestre; ES -2.81%/quarter early. Try the same calculation at standard age, then -2 years and +2 years to see your specific delta. Most workers gain 30-50% more pension by working 5 extra years.

Are public pensions safe in 30 years?

Public pensions will continue to exist in all EU member states — the political risk of cancelling them is too high. But the FORMULAS will change. Replacement rates have already declined from 60% (1990s) to 40-50% (2026) in most EU countries, and demographic pressure (ageing + lower birth rates) means further reductions are likely. The safest assumption: assume 80% of your projected public pension actually arrives, and plan for the gap with a 2nd-pillar (occupational) and 3rd-pillar (private) pension. This is the official advice of every EU pension authority.

Planning estimate · not legal or tax advice

Free tool

EU pension calculator

Pick your country, enter current monthly gross + age + contribution years + planned retirement age. We apply the country-specific formula (DE Rentenformel, FR CNAV+AGIRC, ES base reguladora, IT contributivo, AT APG, NL AOW+2nd pillar, BE 60%/75%, PL ZUS) and project your monthly gross pension at retirement. Replacement rate, early/late penalty/bonus, retirement-age comparison. Conservative-by-design.

⚠ Estimate — pension reforms change everything

⚠ Pension reforms happen every 4-5 years

France raised standard age from 62 to 64 in 2023; Germany debates raising from 67 to 68; Spain extends reference period from 25 to 30 years (2025-2027 phase-in); Italy switches between contributivo and retributivo systems for different cohorts; Netherlands is mid-transition to defined-contribution 2nd pillar (2026-2028); Poland repeatedly debates women's retirement age. The number you see today reflects the rules of TODAY — your actual pension at retirement will use the rules in force AT that future date.

Country

Current monthly gross (EUR)Current age

Contribution years completed

Sum of all years you've worked + paid social contributions

Planned retirement age

Range: 63-70

⚠ This is a long-term projection

Pension calculations span 30-40 years and assume your current salary as a constant proxy. In reality salaries grow with seniority + inflation; pension formulas, retirement age, contribution rates and current pension value all change with reforms. Treat the number as a 'rough order of magnitude' — not a guaranteed amount. Plan for occupational + private pensions (3rd pillar) to fill the gap between public-pension projection and your actual desired income.

Monthly gross pension

€1,748

Replacement rate

44%

Total contribution years

+ 32 years left to contribute

🎯Standard retirement age

How this country's pension works

Rentenformel: monatliche Rente = Entgeltpunkte × Zugangsfaktor × Rentenartfaktor × aktueller Rentenwert.
Aktueller Rentenwert (West) 2026: ~€39.32 per Entgeltpunkt; (Ost) ~€38.48 — fully harmonised by July 2024.
Entgeltpunkte/year = (your gross salary × 12) / Durchschnittsentgelt of all insured (~€45,358 in 2026 for DRV calculations). One year at exactly the average = 1.0 EP. €90k earner = 2.0 EP.
Standard retirement age 67 (born 1964+). Early retirement reduces by 0.3% per month before standard age; late retirement increases by 0.5% per month, max age 70.
Beitragsbemessungsgrenze 2026: ~€7,550/month (West). Salary above this does NOT generate Entgeltpunkte — extra-pension planning needed (Riester, Rürup, betriebliche Altersvorsorge).

Notes about your projection

Entgeltpunkte/year ≈ 1.06 (your salary / Durchschnittsentgelt €45,358).
Total EP at retirement ≈ 44.4 × Zugangsfaktor 1.000 × Rentenwert €39.32.
Above the Beitragsbemessungsgrenze (€7,550/mo in 2026), additional salary does NOT generate Entgeltpunkte — high earners need private/occupational pensions to maintain replacement rate.

⚠ Important warnings

Public pension typically replaces only 40-50% of pre-retirement net for average earners. Plan for an occupational pension (bAV) and/or Riester/Rürup to fill the gap.
Pension reform is a perennial political topic — formulas, retirement age and Rentenwert change every 3-5 years. Treat the projected number as a moving target.

🔗 Open the official source

Legal disclaimer

WorkDaten provides this pension projector for informational and educational purposes only. Calculations use the publicly available 2026 statutory pension formulas of each country and assume your current salary as a constant — IN REALITY, salaries grow over decades, formulas change with reform, retirement ages rise with life expectancy, and current pension values rise with inflation. The number is a long-term ESTIMATE only — actual pension at your retirement date will be determined by the rules in force AT THAT DATE. Each country's pension authority (DRV, CNAV, INSS, INPS, PV, SVB, SFP, ZUS) is the ONLY binding source for your actual entitlement. We accept no liability for retirement-planning decisions based on this tool.

How European pensions actually work

Most EU pension systems use a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model: today's workers' contributions fund today's retirees. The 'pension formula' is what determines YOUR future entitlement based on YOUR contributions. Three model types: (1) Points-based — Germany Entgeltpunkte × Rentenwert. Each €45k of annual gross gives 1 Entgeltpunkt; standard pension is sum-of-points × current point value. (2) Reference-salary-based — France 50% × SAM × trimestres ratio; Spain base reguladora × scaling percentage. (3) Notional defined contribution — Italy sistema contributivo, Poland ZUS. Your contributions accumulate as a notional capital that's converted to a monthly pension at retirement using a coefficient based on remaining life expectancy.

Europe-wide replacement rates: PAYG public pensions typically replace 40-50% of pre-retirement net for average earners — roughly half. The 'pension gap' between this and your desired retirement income (often 70-80% of final net) needs to be filled by: (a) Occupational pension (2nd pillar) — Netherlands 1.875%/year mandatory; UK auto-enrolment; Belgium pension complémentaire; Spain mutualidades; less common in DE/FR/IT. (b) Private pension (3rd pillar) — Germany Riester/Rürup, France PER, Italy fondi pensione, NL lijfrente, Poland IKE/IKZE.

Use this projector for an honest first read. Then check your country's pension authority annual statement (DRV Renteninformation, CNAV relevé de carrière, INSS vida laboral, INPS estratto conto, PV Pensionskonto, mypension.be, mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl, ZUS PUE) for the binding numbers based on YOUR actual career.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions people most often ask before relying on the page.

How accurate is this pension projection?: It's a 30-40 year extrapolation that holds your CURRENT salary constant. Real outcomes depend on: (1) your future salary trajectory (10-50% higher than today is normal over 25 years), (2) pension reforms during your career (every 4-5 years some parameter changes), (3) inflation between now and retirement, (4) your country's specific revaluation rules, (5) any career breaks, parental leave, sickness, unemployment. Treat the number as ±20-30% accuracy. The DRV / CNAV / INSS annual statement is far more accurate because it uses YOUR actual career history.
Should I work longer or retire earlier?: Working longer significantly increases pension in most EU systems: DE +0.5%/month past standard age (Zuschlag); FR surcote +1.25%/trimestre extra; IT higher coefficient at later age; ES demora +4%/year; PL much higher (life expectancy divisor drops). Conversely early retirement is HEAVILY penalised: DE -0.3%/month early; FR décote -1.25%/trimestre; ES -2.81%/quarter early. Try the same calculation at standard age, then -2 years and +2 years to see your specific delta. Most workers gain 30-50% more pension by working 5 extra years.
Are public pensions safe in 30 years?: Public pensions will continue to exist in all EU member states — the political risk of cancelling them is too high. But the FORMULAS will change. Replacement rates have already declined from 60% (1990s) to 40-50% (2026) in most EU countries, and demographic pressure (ageing + lower birth rates) means further reductions are likely. The safest assumption: assume 80% of your projected public pension actually arrives, and plan for the gap with a 2nd-pillar (occupational) and 3rd-pillar (private) pension. This is the official advice of every EU pension authority.