Retirement: is your pension higher or lower than the average?

The amount of the retirement pension often lends itself to discussions and debates as the fear of losing a significant part of one’s income, at the time of retirement, is great. It must be said that the current context aggravates these concerns in the face of high inflation and the prospect of a pension reform implemented from the start of the next school year. With the raising of the legal retirement age and the increase in the duration of insurance, the government has chosen to promise a minimum pension to the French. In the meantime, a recent study has just revealed the average French retirement pension. Are you above or below average?

This is one of the major reforms of Emmanuel Macron’s new five-year term: pensions have been at the heart of the reactor since the start of the year and the French are making their voices heard against this controversial text. While Elisabeth Borne has engaged the responsibility of her government, by article 49.3, to have the pension reform adopted, social mobilization continues with, in the sights, a desire to have the law withdrawn. During weeks of discussions, the executive however tried to appease public opinion, in particular through proposals for long careers, but also the prospect of a minimum pension.

As the debate progressed, however, this proposal became an illusion for many retirees, who were hoping for this sum set at 1,200 euros. The executive has, in fact, gradually revealed that this device would only concern a small part of retirees, remaining unclear on the true number of people concerned. It would therefore seem today that this promise would ultimately target between 180,000 and 200,000 new retirees each year. A figure below expectations, which is coupled with certain conditions such as the contribution made for a full career.

While the pension reform has just been adopted and the French are awaiting its passage before the Constitutional Council, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DRESS) has published a report on the retirement pension French average. This therefore amounts, for retirees residing in France, to 1,400 euros net of social security contributions.

In its conclusions, the DRESS mentioned in particular an amount which “has fallen by 0.7% in constant euros since 2015, due in particular to revaluations punctually lower than inflation”. At the end of 2020, “the average net pension [has nevertheless increased] by 0.5% in constant euros between the end of 2019 and the end of 2020”.

Also in this report, DRESS also addressed the issue of gender inequalities. These continue, in fact, in the amount of their retirement pension. According to the data identified, “women residing in France receive a direct pension amount 40% lower than that of men in 2020, compared to 50% in 2004”.

In cases where the survivor’s pension is taken into account, “this difference is reduced to 28% in 2020”. Women are also increasingly qualified, which contributes to reducing this pay gap with men, especially since the old-age insurance for stay-at-home parents (AVPF) allows them to acquire pension rights. additional.