One in four people receives a pension of less than 1,300 euros - the shocking figures!

One in four people receives a pension of less than 1,300 euros - the shocking figures!

The demographic change in Germany also has a significant impact on the pension situation. According to current figures, more than 25% of pensioners aged 45 and over in Germany receive less than 1,300 euros per month. This is shown by an analysis that points to the sometimes precarious financial situation of many retirees. Loud NOZ The average pension for over 5.5 million pensioners with at least 45 years of insurance offers a look back at the pension structure: It is 1,668 euros.

Particularly notable regional differences can be observed. In West Germany, pensioners can expect to receive an average of 1,729 euros, while their colleagues in East Germany only receive around 1,527 euros. Hamburg remains particularly noticeable, leading the way with an average pension of 1,787 euros, while Thuringia has the lowest pension at 1,491 euros.

First explain regional differences

A closer look at the figures for Schleswig-Holstein shows that pensioners here receive an average of 1,704 euros, which stands out positively from the national average. In Lower Saxony, however, the situation is more complicated: the average pension for men in the west is 1,783 euros, while women are left behind in direct comparison with 1,417 euros in Lower Saxony and 1,447 euros in Bremen. The nationwide average values ​​are also revealing: men get 1,778 euros, women get 1,449 euros.

The left-wing MP Dietmar Bartsch has already sharply criticized pension policy and is calling for a fundamental change of course. He sees the numbers not only as a challenge, but also as a responsibility to ensure that the entire working population pays into the pension fund. The federal government reacts to such statements and points out that the pension amounts do not represent the entire financial situation of those affected. Small pensions could also occur with 45 years of insurance, but downsides such as non-contributory periods, such as periods of training or unemployment, should also be taken into account.

Gradual convergence in sight

Another important aspect is the equalization of pension values ​​between East and West Germany. As part of an alignment roadmap from German pension insurance was published, different calculation sizes are to be slowly aligned by 2025. The current pension value has been adjusted since July 1, 2023, which provides for an annual increase of at least 0.7 percentage points for the East until it reaches the value in the West.

This change is the ongoing process of economic equalization between East and West Germany and goes hand in hand with hopefully stable wage developments in the East. The harmonization of pension law was also a central topic in the negotiations over the last thirty years, which were characterized by the Unification Treaty and the Pension Transfer Act. From 2025, uniform pension law will apply to all federal states, a progress that, after more than three decades, is longed for by both many pensioners and politicians.

Knowing full well that these various measures should have a positive impact on the structure of old-age poverty in the long term, it remains to be seen whether the targeted stabilization of the pension level at 48% under the leadership of Federal Social Minister Bärbel Bas will have the hoped-for success. Despite all efforts, there is still a gap in retirement incomes in Germany, which needs to be optimized in the coming years in order to create a fairer and more stable pension system for all generations. A constant monitoring process is essential here.