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When are people in Germany retiring?

The retirement age in Germany has been rising for years. But last year, people retired a little earlier - and they received slightly higher pensions than those who became pensioners the previous year, according to a report.

Published: 24 May 2022 10:40 CEST
Two older people sit on a bench in Dresden, Saxony.
Two older people sit on a bench in Dresden, Saxony. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Sebastian Kahnert

Politicians and economists have been arguing that people in Germany will have to retire later in life due to the ageing society. But a new report showed German residents actually entered their retirement phase of life slightly earlier last year than the previous year. 

According to figures from the German Pension Insurance Fund, a total of 1.435 million employees retired in Germany in 2021.

On average, men retired at the age of 64.05, while in 2020 the retirement age for them was 64.07. Women retired at 64.18 – compared to 64.24 the previous year.

Despite the recent slight decline, there has been a different trend for a long time, reported German magazine Spiegel. The average time that people have been subject to pension insurance has increased by four years since the beginning of the noughties. In 2000, for instance, only 10 percent of 60-64 year-olds were subject to pension insurance, whereas recently it has climbed to more than 40 percent.

The fact that this is now changing, at least slightly, could have something to do with the increasing salaries of new pensioners. When it comes to old-age pensions, men received an average of €1,204 in 2021, compared to €1,171 net the previous year. Women got €856 in 2021 compared to €827 the year before. 

READ MORE: How does Germany’s pension system measure up worldwide?

For reduced earning-capacity pensions, men received an average of €956 (compared to €914 in 2020) net per month, and women received €882 (€851 in 2020).

The highest average pensions were received by people who retired with the deduction-free pension after 45 years of insurance (known as ‘Rente mit 63‘ or pension at 63 in Germany). For men, the average pension payment in this case after deduction of health and long-term care insurance contributions was €1,579 per month, and for women it was €1,235.

Figures show that older people in Germany – especially the highly qualified – are increasingly working to the retirement age – and even beyond. However, many baby boomers would rather get out sooner than later. Furthermore, the retirement age can’t be postponed in some cases such as physically demanding jobs.

When calculating state pensions in Germany, the number of years worked, your age, and average income determine what people receive. 

What is the current retirement age in Germany?

The age of retirement in Germany has been slowly increasing since the year 2012, when a government reform raised it from 65 to an eventual age of 67.

Currently, the age of retirement is being raised by a month each year. People who were born in the year 1956 and celebrated their 65th birthday last year will likely have to wait until they are 10 months past their 65th birthday before they can celebrate their retirement.

Starting in the year 2024, the age of retirement will be raised by two months every year until it hits a ceiling of 67. That means that people born in the year 1964 will have to wait until their 67th birthday before they can start to enjoy their next phase of life after working. 

Germany’s ruling coalition – made up of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) – have not agreed on pushing up the retirement age, although they are examining the issue of how to keep the pensions system afloat.

READ ALSO: Pensions: How the new government plans to solve an old-age issue

Some experts in Germany say the retirement age will definitely have to be raised further because people are living longer and there won’t be enough workers paying for pensioners in future. 

The head of the German pension insurance, Gundula Roßbach, warned months ago that politicians would have to “keep a close eye” on the development.

READ ALSO: Could people in Germany soon be working until they are 68?

Vocabulary

Pensioners – (die) Rentner

Pensions/old-age pensions – (die) Altersrenten

Reduced in earning capacity pensions – (die) Erwerbsminderungsrenten

Pension insurance – (die) Rentenversicherung

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

How installing solar panels at home is set to become easier in Germany

As part of its drive to roll out renewable energy, Germany has passed a new law that will make it easier to install solar panels on your balcony. Here's what homeowners and renters need to know.

Published: 30 April 2024 09:22 CEST
How installing solar panels at home is set to become easier in Germany

With rising prices affecting almost every area of life, many people are looking for ways to cut costs wherever they can. 

When it comes to electricity, this could include looking at renewable options like installing solar panels on your balcony.

According to data from the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register, this is an increasingly popular choice. As of April 2nd this year, there were around 400,000 balcony solar units in operation in Germany, compared to just 230,000 in the summer of last year.

These little photovoltaic systems can be a great way to become more self-sufficient by producing your own energy for the home – but despite the benefits, you may have been put off by fears of mountains of paperwork and an uncertainty around the rules.

READ ALSO: How to install a solar panel on your balcony in Germany (even if you rent)

The government’s new Solar Energy Package, passed on Friday, aims to solve this issue by making it simpler for people in apartments or single-family homes to install solar panels and use their own energy.

It’s part of a major drive to roll out renewable energy in Germany, pushing up photovoltaic capacity from 7.5 gigawatts in 2022 to 22 gigawatts in 2026 and ultimately 215 gigawatts by 2030. 

But what exactly is changing for homeowners and renters? Here’s what we know so far.

Streamlined registration process

Rather than having to register with your local network operator when installing solar panels on your balcony, in future simply registering with the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register will suffice. This streamlined process has been in place since April 1st, 2024. 

Increased capacity allowance

Solar devices installed in the home are allowed to be more powerful in future. If your future device has an installed output of up to 2 kilowatts and an inverter output of up to 800 volt-amperes in total, you can register it quickly in a simple and unbureaucratic registration process.

Previously, devices were only allowed an inverter output of up to 600 volt-amperes. 

No barriers on meters

In a transitional measure designed to encourage more people to switch to solar energy, balcony installations can be run through any type of meter on the market.

Solar panels on a German balcony

Solar panels on a balcony in Germany. The government is making it easier for people to produce – and use – their own solar energy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/iStock.comMaryanaSerdynska | Maryana Serdynska

This includes meters without a backstop, which run backwards when more energy is produced than is used. These, alongside normal one-way meters with a backdrop, will be permitted for a limited time until modern digital meters can be installed. 

Under previous rules, both older types of meter were prohibited. 

Simpler energy storage

In future, balcony solar systems will be able to store energy with a conventional shockproof plug. This will make installation way easier than it was before.

READ ALSO: German government to subsidise up to €30,000 of heating revamp costs

Easier operation of multi-unit buildings

To enable tenants in apartment blocks to use cheaper solar power from roofs, garages or battery storage systems directly, the new instrument of “communal building supply” is being introduced. This eliminates the complicated requirement to feed energy into the general electricity grid and permits residents to use the energy generated themselves.

In future, tenants will also be able to take out an affordable supplementary tariff themselves for electricity that is not covered by their solar installation. Some rules on this still need to be clarified though, so watch this space. 

Tenant subsidies in commercial buildings

In future, tenant electricity will also be subsidised for commercial buildings and ancillary facilities such as garages if the electricity generated there is consumed immediately, i.e. without being fed through the grid.

This allows several energy systems to be combined and should avoid the overwhelming technical barriers that were previously a problem in residential neighbourhoods. 

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