Germany retirement income: a worked example

Invented figures, not official pension rates. Ages are scenario inputs, not eligibility ages. Statutory and occupational pension forecasts may use different price assumptions. Put them on the same after-tax, today's-money basis first.

What does this example show?

With spending of €2,600 a month, an entered pension of €1,700 from age 67, and no investment growth or inflation, the plan needs €373,200 at age 63 to last until age 90. Of that, €124,800 covers the period before the pension starts.

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Prepare the Germany inputs

Turn the figures in your Renteninformation and provider statements into a retirement spending plan. Compare pension income with the savings needed before and after payments start. Deutsche Rentenversicherung's Renteninformation explains accrued rights and projected statutory pension. Its projected amounts need to be read alongside the statement's purchasing-power warning. Check the date, gross or net basis, and assumptions before putting a figure into this after-tax calculator.

Read the country guide and input checklist

Every assumption in the baseline

Current age / stop working: 63 / 63
Plan until age: 90 (exclusive)
Accessible savings at retirement: €373,200
Further saving: €0 per month
Spending after tax: €2,600 per month
Entered pension after tax: €1,700 per month, age 67 onward
Other income streams: €0
Net nominal return / inflation: 0% / 0% per year

All figures use today's purchasing power. The pension is an illustrative recurring payment. The model does not assess eligibility, taxes, access restrictions or a benefit increase for claiming later. The example uses zero return to make the arithmetic easy to reproduce; zero is not a return forecast.

Follow the two periods

Age 63 to 67: savings cover all spending.
4 years × 12 months × €2,600 = €124,800.
Age 67 to 90: the pension covers part of spending.
Monthly gap = €2,600 − €1,700 = €900. Over 23 years, savings supply €248,400.

Total capital needed: €124,800 + €248,400 = €373,200. At a nonzero return, the calculator discounts each monthly gap. It never borrows against future pension income.

Change one assumption

Same starting savings and spending, different timing · EUR
Scenario	Capital needed	Additional capital needed	Try it
Baseline bridge	€373,200	€0	Load scenario
Pension starts one year later	€393,600	€20,400	Load scenario
Plan for five more years	€427,200	€54,000	Load scenario

Delaying the same pension by one year increases the required savings by €20,400. Planning five years longer adds €54,000. Actual later-claiming benefits may differ: get a new official estimate before using a real alternative date.

What this leaves out

Collect separate statements for a Betriebsrente and any private pension. A monthly payment may start on a different date from the statutory pension. If you enter the payment, exclude the assets committed to generating it from accessible savings.

The result is a deterministic illustration with no market volatility, changing taxes, care-cost shock or inheritance target. Payments remain constant in real terms, which may overstate a pension that does not keep pace with prices. Three income streams are available; combine payments only when their dates and money basis match.

The first twelve-month budget in the calculator solves for a fundable spending level. It is a separate result from your entered target. In a stressed scenario it can be lower than the target; the capital-gap table above keeps the original spending target unchanged.

Official sources and review scope

Deutsche Rentenversicherung · Renteninformation ↗

Source descriptions checked 4 October 2026. This is an illustrative calculation, not a government benefit forecast. Read our editorial policy and review status.

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