• A viral chart on Facebook leads to the conclusion that our European neighbors contribute fewer years than the French.
  • But these data are wrong or do not take into account the specific rules of pension plans.
  • Thus in Germany, you must have contributed 45 years to be able to leave at full rate. From the age of 63, it is possible to leave with only 35 years of contributions, as mentioned in the table, but there will then be a discount on the pension.

The comparison of pension systems in Europe is always perilous. Emmanuel Macron had tried it at the end of March by wanting to defend the reform of the pension system, pushing the retirement age to 64 years, and whose law was promulgated on April 14. A difficult exercise, because the rules are different depending on the country, explained political scientist Bruno Palier. On Facebook, a viral post, shared more than 40,000 times, also tries it by using dated or truncated data.

If we look at this table, we can be led to conclude that our European neighbours contribute fewer years than the French (43 years indicated in the table, to understand in the general sense, the annuities also depending on the duration of insurance and the age of entry into the scheme). Thus, the Germans would contribute only 35 years according to this table, the Spaniards, 37, Greece, Portugal and Hungary, 40 years, the Italians, 42 years.

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But these data are wrong or do not take into account the specific rules of pension plans. A working document of the Conseil d'orientation des retraites (COR), dated January 2022, examined the issue of retirement ages and durations in eight European countries, Canada and Japan.



In the table posted on Facebook, the legal retirement ages and contribution years are compared. Two interesting entries, but in view of the great differences between pension systems, points need to be clarified. The COR explains that legal retirement ages allow international comparisons "with relatively few ambiguities, but they do not reflect actual attitudes towards pensions". Other indicators are thus generally used, such as the effective ages of settlement of rights or exit from the labour market.

At what age do you retire?

With regard to the legal ages of entitlement, there are also several possible variables depending on the country: the age at which it is possible to claim one's pension rights, the age at which it is possible to receive a full retirement pension, the age of activation of a premium or the age of compulsory retirement. In addition, there are possibilities for early retirement under certain conditions relating to the duration of insurance or career, the age at which membership begins or the nature of the jobs held.

Adopted legislation also leads to a gradual decline in the opening of rights until 2050 for Italy, for example. The NRC has detailed this information in the graph below.


Incorrect data and comparison

On social networks, the table presented does not take into account these specificities, or even incorrectly compares figures. Thus in Germany, you must have contributed 45 years to be able to leave at full rate. From the age of 63, it is possible to leave with only 35 years of contributions, as mentioned in the table, but there will then be a discount on the pension. The unconditional age of entitlement is 65 years and ten months (not 62).

In France, with the promulgation of the law, the legal age will be gradually raised from 1 September 2023, at a rate of 3 months per year of birth to reach the target of 64 years in 2030. The full rate is maintained at 43 years of contributions. For long careers, it will be possible to leave a little earlier depending on the year of birth, the age of entry into the labor market and the quarters contributed (the CFDT details it in a table here).

Higher retirement ages, but fewer years of contributions in Italy and Spain

In Italy, the system is a little more complex: the unconditional retirement age is 67 (not 66), but it is possible to leave early regardless of age from 42 years and 10 months of contributions for men and 41 years and 10 months for women. There is also a range of early retirement schemes with specific criteria. The retirement age will be gradually raised to 69 in 2050.



In Spain again, the retirement age is gradually raised to 67 in 2027, according to a 2011 reform. In 2023, if the contribution period is less than 37 years and nine months, the age of entitlement is set at 66 years and four months, says the Spanish Ministry of Labour on its website. It is possible to leave earlier, at age 65, if the person has contributed at age 37 and nine months or more. Adopted in March 2023, the reform of the left-wing government, which did not provoke demonstrations, did not touch the retirement age. In particular, it plans to make high incomes contribute more to the financial equilibrium of the system.

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