Pension calculator Germany: is your retirement provision enough?
Germany's statutory pension alone often doesn't cover the standard of living you want in retirement. Enter your age, capital and savings rate — the calculator shows whether a pension gap is looming and how large it is.
Your pension gap (Rentenlücke) is the difference between the monthly income you want in retirement and what the statutory pension plus your own capital actually cover. The usual levers to close it: start earlier, raise your savings rate, or delay retirement. Enter your age, capital and expected statutory pension below — the calculator instantly shows whether a gap opens up, how many years your capital lasts, and how much is missing each month.
Quick pick
Simplified model with fixed assumptions on returns, inflation and life expectancy — not investment or pension advice.
In the model you need to save about €41 more each month to reach your desired retirement income.
At 67 you'd have around €340,531 in today's purchasing power.
Capital at retirement
€641,744.00
Capital needed
€687,523.00
Pension gap
€45,779.00
How can you close the gap?
Raise your monthly savings rate and watch your pension gap change instantly.
What does this mean for your real wealth?
“In the model you need to save about €41 more each month to reach your desired retirement income.” — that holds for the assumptions above. Whether it looks the same with your real portfolio and your real numbers, you can see in Planafolio — for free.
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What does the result mean?
The pension gap is the part of your desired retirement income that your statutory pension does not cover after tax. The calculator shows how much capital you need for it in the model and whether your savings rate is enough.
Model assumptions
- You enter your statutory pension yourself, for example from your pension statement (Renteninformation).
- Return, inflation and life expectancy are fixed in the calculator; the pension is taxed at a flat rate instead of your personal tax rate.
- Flat tax including solidarity surcharge (26.375%) is applied to the gains share of each withdrawal; the saver's allowance and partial exemption are not.
- The pension you enter is treated as an amount in the year retirement starts, while your desired income is inflated up to that year.
- Fund costs, order fees and spreads are not deducted.
How the calculator works
Your desired income is inflated up to the start of retirement. The required capital is the present value of a withdrawal that rises with inflation until the end of life in the model; the saving phase is simulated month by month.
More on the methodologyWorked example
Example: how big is the pension gap?
Worked example using the calculator's default values above: current age, some savings, a monthly savings rate and an expected state pension.
Inputs
- Age today35 years
- Savings today€30,000
- Monthly savings€400
- Planned retirement age67 years
- Desired monthly net income (today's purchasing power)€2,200
- Expected state pension€1,300
Calculation
| Savings at retirement | €641,744 |
|---|---|
| The same in today's purchasing power | €340,531 |
| Capital needed until age 90 | €687,523 |
Result
| Pension gap | €45,779 |
|---|---|
| Additional monthly savings to close the gap | €41 |
The savings don't quite last until the assumed end of life. Around €41 more per month from today would close the gap.
Same assumptions as the calculator above: 6% return and 2% inflation per year, life expectancy of 90 years, flat taxes on returns and pension. Not a forecast.
Pension gap table
Pension gap by statutory pension: how the amount changes the result
Calculator defaults: age 35, savings of €30,000, €400 saved per month, retirement at 67, desired net income of €2,200 per month (today's purchasing power). With that, savings grow to around €641,744 by retirement. Only the expected statutory pension changes:
| Statutory pension | Capital needed (until 90) | Gap / surplus | Extra savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| €900 / month | €758,356 | Gap €116,612 | €104 |
| €1,100 / month | €722,939 | Gap €81,196 | €72 |
| €1,300 / month | €687,523 | Gap €45,779 | €41 |
| €1,500 / month | €652,106 | Gap €10,362 | €9 |
| €1,700 / month | €616,690 | Surplus €25,054 | – |
Same assumptions as the calculator: 6% return and 2% inflation per year, life expectancy of 90 years, flat taxes on returns and pension. Amounts at retirement are nominal. Not a forecast and not pension advice.
Common mistakes
Copying the pension from the pension statement without checking
The calculator takes the pension you enter as an amount in the year retirement starts, while the desired income is inflated up to that year. If your figure comes from a projection in today's purchasing power, the gap is shown distorted. Check what basis your figure uses.
Entering desired income gross instead of net
The desired income is a net amount. Enter the statutory pension as it appears in your pension statement (gross); the calculator taxes it at a flat assumption, not your personal rate. A gross wish makes the gap too large.
Thinking return, inflation and life expectancy are individual
These values are fixed in the calculator. Someone who dies early or lives very long does not match the assumption; use the result as an order of magnitude.
Forgetting other income in retirement
The calculator knows nothing about occupational pensions or rental income; only the statutory pension, current capital and savings count. If you have other income, your gap is smaller; in the financial plan you can add building blocks individually.
Sources and status
Content reviewed on September 29, 2026. Legal status: 2026. The sources are official German legal texts and data and are therefore in German.
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung – Renteninformation
- § 64 SGB VI – Rentenformel der gesetzlichen Rente
- § 22 EStG – Besteuerung der gesetzlichen Rente (im Rechner pauschal)
- § 32d EStG – Abgeltungsteuer
- Statistisches Bundesamt – Verbraucherpreisindex für Deutschland
The calculation is a simplified estimate and does not replace tax advice.
What can I do?
Save the result in your financial plan – there you can adjust your statutory pension, portfolio and other building blocks one by one.
In short
What determines your pension gap
Three things that decide the size of your own pension gap.
What is a pension gap?
The difference between your desired retirement income and what the statutory pension plus your own capital actually cover.
Why the statutory pension often isn't enough
Pension levels are falling long-term while life expectancy rises — the gap between final salary and pension is growing for most cohorts.
How your own capital closes the gap
The earlier you start saving, the more compound interest contributes toward the capital you need — the calculator shows you the difference directly.
Frequently asked questions
Pension gap questions
The pension gap is the difference between your desired standard of living in retirement and your actual statutory pension. How large it is depends heavily on the individual case; whatever the statutory pension doesn't cover would have to come from your own provision.
The calculator projects your capital up to retirement (savings rate, compound interest) and compares it with the capital needed to cover your desired income minus the statutory pension over your remaining life expectancy.
This is a simplified model with fixed assumptions on returns, inflation and life expectancy — a general guide, not individual financial or pension advice.
The usual levers are: start earlier, increase your savings rate, or delay retirement. Planafolio also shows you exactly how these levers affect your own pension gap.
Yes, as a total: enter all expected pensions together in the statutory pension field, for example the figure from your Deutsche Rentenversicherung pension statement (Renteninformation) plus entitlements from other countries. The calculator does not distinguish where a pension comes from and treats taxes as a flat rate.
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