Germany raises retirement age to 66 as social support trends shift

A higher retirement age and shifting welfare demands reshape Germany's social landscape. Who's gaining support—and who's falling through the cracks?

, and Administrator

2026 April 15 . 12:01 AM

1 min read

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Before 1947, the standard retirement age was 65. For those born in 1947 or later, the age limit has been gradually raised to 67 since 2012. By December 2025, it stood at 66 years and two months.

In December 2025, around 764,000 people had reached or exceeded the retirement age under Germany's Social Code XII (SGB XII) and were receiving basic income support in old age. From the end of 2024 to the end of 2025, their numbers rose by 3.4%, marking a new record high.

In contrast, the number of recipients of basic income support due to reduced earning capacity fell by 0.5% year-on-year to approximately 520,000 in December 2025—the lowest level since December 2018. These individuals, aged 18 and older but below the standard retirement age, received benefits because of a permanent and total inability to work. This means that, due to illness or disability, they were unable to work more than three hours a day under normal labor market conditions for the foreseeable future. The peak for this group was reached in March 2020, with 539,000 recipients.

The number of eligible Ukrainian refugees receiving benefits under SGB XII increased from around 99,000 in December 2024 to 109,000 in December 2025—a rise of 9.9%. While this growth again significantly contributed to the overall trend, it was smaller than in previous years (compared to a 14.6% increase from December 2023 to December 2024). Since June 1, 2022, Ukrainian refugees have been entitled to benefits under SGB XII rather than the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (AsylbLG), provided they meet the usual requirements.