How much wealth do you need for retirement?
No rule of thumb — real numbers: six desired pension incomes and five savings rates, computed live with the same formula behind the pension-gap calculator. As of September 2026.
For a desired net monthly pension of €2,500, a 35-year-old retiring at 67 with a €1,300 German statutory pension, 6% return and 2% inflation needs roughly €659,649 in capital at retirement. The tables below show how that changes for other desired incomes and savings rates — every row uses the same calculation as the interactive pension-gap calculator, not a separate rule of thumb.
Table 1
Required capital by desired pension income
Model profile: age 35, retiring at 67, €1,300 German statutory pension, 6% return, 2% inflation.
| Desired pension (net/month) | Capital needed at retirement |
|---|---|
| €1,500 | €321,045 |
| €2,000 | €490,347 |
| €2,500 | €659,649 |
| €3,000 | €828,951 |
| €3,500 | €998,253 |
| €4,000 | €1,167,555 |
No existing savings or ongoing contributions — a pure capital-need scenario. For your own capital and savings rate, use the pension-gap calculator.
Table 2
How your savings rate closes the gap
Same profile, desired pension €2,500 net/month, starting at age 35 with €0 capital today.
| Monthly savings rate | Capital at retirement | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| €0 | €0 | Gap: €659,649 |
| €300 | €336,107 | Gap: €461,872 |
| €500 | €560,178 | Gap: €237,801 |
| €800 | €896,284 | No gap |
| €1,200 | €1,344,427 | No gap |
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the study
The same calculation function that powers the interactive pension-gap calculator and the Altersvorsorgedepot calculator on {appName} (computeAltersvorsorgeDepot) — not a separate formula made just for this page. See the methodology page for details.
Whenever the underlying assumptions change materially (e.g. pension level, tax rates), and at least once a year.
Yes — these tables use a fixed model profile for comparison. For your own numbers (your age, savings rate, statutory pension), use the interactive pension-gap calculator.
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Run this with your own numbers instead of the model profile
The pension-gap calculator uses the same formula — with your age, savings rate, and statutory pension.
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