In Germany, more than 1.4 million pensioners continue to work, of which about 375,000 are engaged in work that exceeds the standard norms for part-time employment. About this informs DW.
According to the German Pension Fund, the information refers to the situation as of December 31, 2023. The Left Party said that such indicators indicate the level of poverty in the country, despite its status as the largest economy in the European Union. The party called for the reform of the pension system according to the Austrian model — with the creation of a single system to which contributions from all categories of citizens, including deputies, civil servants and the self-employed, would be deducted.
Today, the general retirement age in Germany for men and women is 67, but there are exceptions for certain professions. In particular, miners have the right to retire at the age of 60. Also, those who have reached 45 years of insurance experience before the age of 65 can end their work activities early.
The average pension for men is about 800 euros, for women it is about 420 euros. The difference is explained by the fact that women more often interrupt their careers due to raising children or work part-time, as a result of which they have less insurance experience.
In the eastern federal states of Germany (territory of the former GDR), average pension payments are higher: 300 euros more for women and 100 euros for men. This is connected with labor and social conditions in the period of the socialist past.
In 2024, at least 1.1 million people over the age of 67 were working in Germany. This is more than 50 thousand more than in 2023. Compared to 2004, the number of working pensioners increased fourfold: then there were 288,000 of them. At the same time, the total number of pensioners in the country during this period increased only slightly — from 19.6 million in 2004 to 21.4 million in 2024. As of the beginning of 2025, the population of Germany was approximately 84.4 million people.
