Retirement age in Germany: the full table by year of birth

Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026

“The German retirement age is 67” is a correct answer for exactly one cohort: those born in 1964 or later. Anyone born before that has an age of their own, calculated in months, not years — and a few months’ difference means thousands of euros if you draw your pension early believing you had reached it.

The threshold by year of birth

This table is taken from the text of Section 235 itself. Find your birth year and read the last column:

• Before 1947 ⇒ 65 years
• 1947 ⇒ 65y 1m · 1948 ⇒ 65y 2m · 1949 ⇒ 65y 3m · 1950 ⇒ 65y 4m
• 1951 ⇒ 65y 5m · 1952 ⇒ 65y 6m · 1953 ⇒ 65y 7m · 1954 ⇒ 65y 8m
• 1955 ⇒ 65y 9m · 1956 ⇒ 65y 10m · 1957 ⇒ 65y 11m · 1958 ⇒ 66 years
• 1959 ⇒ 66y 2m · 1960 ⇒ 66y 4m · 1961 ⇒ 66y 6m · 1962 ⇒ 66y 8m · 1963 ⇒ 66y 10m
• 1964 or later ⇒ 67 years

Note the break at 1958: up to that cohort the threshold rises by one month per birth year, then it accelerates to two. Someone born in 1959 retires two months after someone born in 1958, not one.

Reaching the age is not enough on its own

Section 35 lays down two conditions, not one: reaching the age threshold and fulfilling the general waiting period. That period is five years under Section 50 — the same requirement as for a reduced-earning-capacity pension and a survivors’ pension.

Five years only, which is less than many migrants expect. Anyone who has worked in Germany for five years while insured has a right to an old-age pension on reaching their age, however small the amount.

Section 50 also names two cases in which the waiting period counts as fulfilled without being counted: where the insured person drew a reduced-earning-capacity or child-raising pension up to reaching the age threshold; and, for survivors’ pensions, where the deceased drew a pension until death.

Longer waiting periods apply to other pensions: twenty years for a full reduced-capacity pension where the general period was not met before the reduction arose, twenty-five for long-serving underground miners, and thirty-five for the long-insured pension.

Deferring raises the pension — at a higher rate than early drawing lowers it

This is the least known fact in the whole file. Section 77 sets the “access factor” by which your points are multiplied. It equals 1.0 for someone whose pension begins on reaching their age threshold. Then:

• Drawing early reduces it by 0.003 per calendar month — 3.6% per year.
• Deferring beyond the threshold despite a fulfilled waiting period raises it by 0.005 per calendar month — 6% per year.

Note the asymmetry: the reward for deferring (0.005) is larger than the penalty for drawing early (0.003) for each month. Someone able to keep working for one year past their threshold raises their pension by 6% for life, not for a year.

And neither the reduction nor the increase washes out later: points that already fed into an earlier pension keep their old factor under paragraph 3 of the same provision.

How to fix your date precisely

1. Start from your birth year, not from the number 67Only those born in 1964 or later are on 67. Everyone born before has a threshold calculated in months.
2. Add the months to your date of birth, not to the start of the yearThe threshold is reached on completing the stated age, so the count runs from your own birthday.
3. Check that you have five insured yearsThat is the general waiting period, and there is no standard old-age pension without it at any age.
4. Check whether your period counts as fulfilled automaticallyAnyone who drew a reduced-capacity or child-raising pension up to the age threshold has it treated as fulfilled without counting.
5. Weigh the cost of drawing early against the reward for deferring3.6% deducted per year early against 6% added per year deferred — and the difference lasts for life.
6. Request your insurance record years ahead, not monthsCorrecting missing periods takes time and cannot start in the month you intend to retire.

Frequently asked questions

What is the retirement age in Germany?

The standard threshold is reached on completing 67 under Section 35, but that applies to those born in 1964 or later. Anyone born earlier has a lower threshold set in months by Section 235.

I was born in 1960 — when do I retire?

On completing 66 years and four months, per the table in Section 235.

I was born before 1947 — does the rise affect me?

No. Anyone born before 1 January 1947 reaches the threshold on completing 65.

How many years of work do I need for a pension?

The general waiting period is five years under Section 50, and it is a condition for the standard old-age pension, the reduced-earning-capacity pension and the survivors’ pension.

How much is deducted if I retire early?

The access factor falls by 0.003 for each month drawn early under Section 77 — 3.6% per year, and the deduction is permanent.

And if I defer?

The access factor rises by 0.005 for each month deferred beyond the threshold with the waiting period fulfilled — 6% per year, an increase that lasts for life.

Can the waiting period count as fulfilled without being counted?

Yes, in two cases named in Section 50: where the insured person drew a reduced-capacity or child-raising pension up to the age threshold; and, for survivors’ pensions, where the deceased drew a pension until death.