The statutory pension follows your working life: anyone who earns less or pauses contribution years earns fewer earnings points. Part-time work, child-rearing phases and mini-jobs lead to fewer points. That is one core element of what is discussed as the pension gap between women and men.
This guide explains the mechanics behind that gap, shows what the pension insurance credits for raising children and sorts the building blocks you can use to counter it. It works with assumptions rather than blanket averages, because your own record counts, not a mean value.
In short: Your pension depends on earnings points from contributions and credited periods. A year of average earnings gives about one earnings point, child-rearing up to 36 months per child, about 3 points (section 56 SGB VI). Part-time work, mini-jobs without pension contributions and pauses reduce the points. Supplementary provision can narrow the gap (last updated: November 2026).
Key points
- The pension arises from earnings points: if you earn half the average salary part-time, you get about half an earnings point per year.
- Child-rearing is credited: up to 36 months for children born from 1992, 30 so far for older children, 36 months in future as well.
- Mini-jobs are subject to pension insurance unless you apply for an exemption. With an exemption, no entitlements arise.
- The pension commission recommends, among other things, bringing mini-jobs into compulsory insurance. That is not decided.
- Occupational and private provision can supplement the statutory pension, including during part-time work and parental leave.
Why is women’s pension often lower?
The statutory pension is calculated from the earnings points you collect over your working life. Each year, your earnings relative to average earnings give a value: if you earn exactly the average, you get about one earnings point, if you earn half, about half a point. Interruptions, part-time work and low earnings lower the total. The Federal Statistical Office reports the difference in retirement income. The gender pension gap, meaning the relative difference between the average retirement income of men and women aged 65 and over, was 36.0 percent for own gross retirement income (old-age pensions, civil-service pensions and pensions from individual private provision) in survey year 2025, and 24.2 percent including survivors’ retirement income (page dated 9 April 2026). Working lives with part-time work, child-rearing phases and marginal employment are among the factors that lower earnings points and thus the later pension. Your pension statement shows where you stand.
This mechanism affects men and women alike. What matters is the working record, not gender. In practice the records are unevenly distributed, which is why this view is especially useful for young women planning their provision.
How do part-time work and career breaks affect it?
Example with assumptions: you work ten years full-time and earn the average every year. That gives about 10 earnings points. If you instead work ten years part-time at half the average, you get about 5 earnings points. If a year drops out completely, one point is missing. The euro amount depends on the pension value when your pension starts and cannot be stated reliably in advance. The ratios stay the same, though: half the contributions mean half the points.
| Record (assumption, 10 years each) | Earnings relative to average | Earnings points (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 100 percent | 10 |
| Part-time | 50 percent | 5 |
| Part-time, plus 3 years of child-rearing credit | 50 percent (7 years) plus child-rearing | 3.5 plus about 3 |
| Career break without credit | 0 percent | 0 |
The row with child-rearing credit shows that credited periods offset part of the gap. They do not replace a longer absence, however, and the sum of contribution points and child-rearing points is capped per year.
What does the pension insurance credit for children?
For children born from 1 January 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). Each month earns about 0.0833 earnings points, which is about 3 points for 36 months. The 2025 pension package raises the credit for children born before 1992 to 36 months. According to the federal government, this is to enter into force in 2027. The time is allocated to the parent who raised the child, which can also be the father. All details are in our guide to child-rearing periods in the pension (in German).
What applies to mini-jobs?
Mini-jobs are subject to pension insurance unless you opt out. Under section 6(1b) SGB VI, marginally employed persons can apply to their employer for an exemption. An exemption means no pension entitlements arise from the job. The marginal employment threshold is 603 euros a month in 2026 and rises to 633 euros in 2027. If you stay in a mini-job for longer, weigh the exemption carefully. The pension commission recommends bringing mini-jobs into compulsory insurance, with exceptions only for school pupils. Like all 33 recommendations of the report of 23 June 2026, this has not been decided according to the federal government. More on mini-jobs during studies is in Werkstudent, Minijob oder Midijob (in German) and Minijob or Student Job: Limits in Figures Compared.
Which building blocks supplement the statutory pension?
Besides the statutory pension there are occupational and private routes. An employer pension, the new Altersvorsorgedepot and other forms can narrow a gap. For the Altersvorsorgedepot, the enacted reform provides a basic allowance of at most 540 euros a year and up to 300 euros child allowance per child. This applies expected from 1 January 2027 and should be read as an enacted reform, not as current law in 2026. Who can receive the allowance is described in Altersvorsorgedepot Zulage: Wer sie bekommen kann (in German), the child allowance in Altersvorsorgedepot Kinderzulage (in German).
Which building blocks suit your situation depends on income, record and risk. Both sides belong in the weighing: an employer pension and a depot are no guarantee, and a private pension insurance ties you for a long time. Orientation is offered by Betriebsrente oder Altersvorsorgedepot (in German) and Betriebsrentenstärkungsgesetz II (in German). The overall view is in the hub Altersvorsorge 2027 (in German).
Frequently asked questions
How much pension does a year of child-rearing bring?
About one earnings point per year, more precisely 0.9996. For 36 months of child-rearing time, that is about 3 earnings points. The euro value depends on the pension value when your pension starts.
Is Mütterrente III already in force?
The 2025 pension package entered into force on 1 January 2026. For crediting 36 months for children born before 1992, the federal government names 2027, and the German Pension Insurance names the effect on pension calculation from 2028 with retroactive payment.
Should I opt out of pension insurance in a mini-job?
It is a trade-off. With an exemption you get more net pay but no pension entitlements from the mini-job. Without one, your insurance account grows, even if the amounts are small.
Is there separate support for women’s retirement provision?
No, the subsidies apply regardless of gender. The enacted reform provides allowances and a child allowance for the Altersvorsorgedepot. Whether and how you receive them depends on your situation.
Where do I see my status?
The pension statement of the German Pension Insurance shows contribution periods, credited periods and a projection. Also check whether child-rearing periods are recorded.
What to do next
- Request your pension statement and check that contribution periods and child-rearing periods are complete.
- Work through your career path with assumptions for part-time work, breaks and salary development.
- Decide consciously about exemption from pension insurance in mini-jobs.
- Look at supplementary building blocks such as occupational pensions or the Altersvorsorgedepot and compare costs and terms. If you would like a personal assessment, you can get advice from Academycon (in German).
Related guides
- Kindererziehungszeiten in der Rente: Was angerechnet wird
- Altersvorsorgedepot Kinderzulage: 300 Euro pro Kind und Jahr
- Betriebsrente oder Altersvorsorgedepot: Welche Option passt zu dir?
- Altersvorsorge 2027: Der Überblick zu Depot, Frühstart-Rente und Riester
- Retirement Provision for Students: Starting Early With Small Amounts
Sources: Section 56 SGB VI, child-rearing periods, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Section 6 SGB VI, exemption from compulsory insurance, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); German Pension Insurance, Rentenpaket 2025, page updated 17 May 2026 (in German); Federal Government, FAQ on pension reform, page dated 2 July 2026 (in German); Federal Statistical Office, retirement income by sex and gender pension gap, as of 9 April 2026 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
