Child-rearing periods (Kindererziehungszeiten) are periods for which the pension insurance credits you contributions for raising your child, even if you did not work or worked little during that time. They raise your future pension.
For children born on or after 1 January 1992, the pension insurance credits up to 36 months per child. For children born before that, it has so far been 30 months. The 2025 pension package aligns these periods, with implementation from 2027.
In short: For children born from 1992, up to 36 months of child-rearing time per child are credited, and for children born before 1992 up to 30 months so far (section 56 SGB VI). The 2025 pension package raises that to 36 months, in force from 2027 according to the federal government. Each month earns about 0.0833 earnings points, roughly one per year (last updated: November 2026).
Key points
- A child-rearing period means the pension insurance credits you compulsory contribution time for the time of raising a child, even without your own contributions.
- Children born from 1 January 1992: up to 36 months. Children born until 31 December 1991: up to 30 months so far, 36 months in future (Mütterrente III).
- Each calendar month earns about 0.0833 earnings points, roughly 1 earnings point per year.
- The time is allocated to the parent who raised the child, usually the mother, but possibly the father.
- If several children count, overlapping periods are not lost but extend the child-rearing period.
What are child-rearing periods and what do they bring?
Child-rearing periods are compulsory contribution periods that the pension insurance credits to you while you raise a young child. The legal basis is section 56 SGB VI. You do not have to work or pay contributions of your own. The periods increase your earnings points and thus your pension. Each calendar month earns about 0.0833 earnings points, which is about 0.9996 or roughly 1 earnings point per full year. One earnings point corresponds to a year of average earnings, so 36 months stand for roughly three years of average earnings.
This matters for your later pension, especially if you do not work at all or work part-time for a while because of your children. How such work patterns affect retirement provision is described in Altersvorsorge für Frauen (in German).
How long are child-rearing periods credited?
The duration depends on the child’s year of birth. Under section 56 SGB VI, the child-rearing period begins after the end of the month of birth and ends after 36 calendar months. For children born before 1992, the shorter duration of 30 months has applied so far under the transitional provisions of the SGB VI.
| Child born | Credit so far | Status |
|---|---|---|
| from 1 January 1992 | up to 36 months | current law |
| until 31 December 1991 | up to 30 months (2.5 years) | current law, before Mütterrente III is implemented |
| until 31 December 1991, after Mütterrente III | 36 months | decided in the 2025 pension package, implementation from 2027 |
The 30 months for older children arose over the years: before the Mütterrente reform of 2014 it was 12 months, then, with Mütterrente II from 2019, 30 months. Now the third step follows.
What does Mütterrente III bring?
The 2025 pension package entered into force on 1 January 2026. It provides that for children born before 1992 the child-rearing period rises from 30 to 36 months. According to the federal government, this change is to enter into force in 2027. The German Pension Insurance states that the change affects pension calculation from 2028. At the cabinet decision of 6 August 2025 it already named 1 January 2027 as the planned date and an optional technical implementation at the start of 2028, in each case with retroactive payment. Eligible mothers and fathers will receive up to 20 euros a month more pension. The cost of about five billion euros a year is covered by tax revenue.
The adjustment mainly affects parents whose children were born before 1992, and thus largely the parent generation of today’s career starters. For you personally it matters mostly if you support parents or grandparents with their retirement planning. The guide to the pension level floor (in German) covers the pension level and other parts of the package.
Who is the time allocated to?
The child-rearing period is allocated to the parent who actually raised the child. That is usually the mother, but it can also be the father. If both raise the child together, the parents decide by joint declaration to whom the time is allocated. This declaration takes effect for at most the two calendar months before it is submitted. Anyone who files it late therefore cannot turn back the allocation arbitrarily far. It is worth agreeing on the declaration early.
What applies with several children and additional income?
If you raise several children at the same time, periods are not lost. The child-rearing period is extended by the months of simultaneous rearing of a further child (section 56(5) SGB VI), so that the full duration is recognised for each child. If you keep working during the child-rearing period and pay compulsory contributions, earnings points from both sources are added together. The sum may not exceed the annual maximum from Annex 2b to the SGB VI. Compulsory contribution points are counted first, and child-rearing points are then reduced where necessary.
Example with assumptions: you have a child born in 2026 and receive 36 months of child-rearing time. At 0.0833 earnings points per month, that gives about 3.0 earnings points. For a child born in 1990, it has so far been 30 months, about 2.5 earnings points, and after Mütterrente III 36 months, thus about 0.5 earnings points more. The euro amount comes from your pension statement, because it depends on the current pension value. The figure of 0.0833 earnings points per month is a rounded approximation; your pension statement shows the exact earnings points.
How do you check that your periods are recorded?
Child-rearing periods are kept in your insurance account. Check your account if you have raised children and have gaps closed through the account clarification procedure. The pension statement of the German Pension Insurance shows what is recorded. If you also want to save for your children, subsidies are covered in Altersvorsorgedepot Kinderzulage (in German). Student parents will find more in Elterngeld im Studium and BAföG mit Kind (both in German).
Frequently asked questions
How many months of child-rearing time are there per child?
For children born from 1 January 1992, up to 36 months. For children born before 1992, up to 30 months so far and 36 months in future under Mütterrente III.
How many earnings points do child-rearing periods bring?
About 0.0833 earnings points per calendar month, about 0.9996 per full year and thus roughly one earnings point. For 36 months that is about 3 earnings points.
Can the father also receive child-rearing periods?
Yes. The time is allocated to the parent who actually raised the child. If both raise the child together, the parents decide by joint declaration to whom the time is allocated.
When does Mütterrente III come?
According to the federal government, the change is to enter into force in 2027. The German Pension Insurance names 2028 for the effect on pension calculation and points to retroactive payment. Binding dates are in the communications of the pension insurance.
Do I have to apply for Mütterrente III?
The German Pension Insurance provides information on the procedure before implementation. Check your insurance account and ask your pension insurance provider.
What to do next
- Request your pension statement or have your insurance account checked by the German Pension Insurance.
- Check whether the child-rearing period is recorded for every child and have gaps fixed through the account clarification.
- As parents, agree early on who is allocated the time and submit the joint declaration on time.
- Include supplementary provision in your plan, especially with part-time work or career breaks. If you would like a personal assessment, you can get advice from Academycon (in German).
Related guides
- Altersvorsorge für Frauen: Teilzeit, Kinder und Rentenlücke
- Altersvorsorgedepot Kinderzulage: 300 Euro pro Kind und Jahr
- Haltelinie beim Rentenniveau: Was nach 2031 passieren könnte
- Welche Zeiten zählen für die Rentenwartezeit von 5 Jahren?
- Pension Insurance for Students in Germany: Rules
Sources: Section 56 SGB VI, child-rearing periods, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); German Pension Insurance, statement on the 2025 pension package and Mütterrente III, 6 August 2025 (in German); German Pension Insurance, Rentenpaket 2025, page updated 17 May 2026 (in German); Federal Government, Rentenpaket 2025 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
