The standard retirement age (Regelaltersgrenze) is the age from which you can draw an old-age pension in Germany without deduction. For everyone born on or after 1 January 1964 it is 67. For older cohorts it rises step by step from 65 to 67.
Here you find the step table, how to work out your own date and the current state of the debate on a further increase after 2031.
In short: Anyone born on or after 1 January 1964 reaches the standard retirement age at the completion of age 67 (section 35 SGB VI). For the cohorts 1947 to 1963 a step table applies, from 65 years and one month to 66 years and 10 months (section 235 SGB VI). A further increase after 2031 has so far only been recommended (last updated: November 2026).
Key points
- Birth year 1964 and later: standard retirement age 67, for the 1964 cohort that means 2031.
- The 1958 cohort reaches the limit at 66 years, the 1963 cohort at 66 years and 10 months.
- Besides age, the standard old-age pension requires the general qualifying period of five years.
- The pension commission recommends linking the age to life expectancy after 2031. That is not enacted law.
- Your personal date appears in the pension statement of the German Pension Insurance.
From which birth year does the standard retirement age 67 apply?
Under section 35 SGB VI, the standard retirement age is reached at the completion of age 67. This uniform limit applies to insured persons born after 31 December 1963, that is, from birth year 1964. For older cohorts the legislator raised the limit gradually from 65 to 67. The steps are set out in section 235 SGB VI, which covers insured persons born before 1 January 1964.
You work out your date by adding the age limit to your birth year. Examples from birth year 1964: if you were born in 1964, you complete age 67 in 2031. Born in 1980, you reach the limit in 2047, born in 1995 in 2062 and born in 2001 in 2068. That is current law. Whether it stays that way is open, more on that below.
What is the step table for the cohorts 1947 to 1963?
For people born before 1 January 1947, the standard retirement age was 65. After that, under section 235(2) SGB VI, the limit rises as shown below. Until the 1958 cohort it rises by one month per cohort, from 1959 by two months per cohort.
| Birth year | Increase in months | Standard retirement age |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 1 | 65 years 1 month |
| 1948 | 2 | 65 years 2 months |
| 1949 | 3 | 65 years 3 months |
| 1950 | 4 | 65 years 4 months |
| 1951 | 5 | 65 years 5 months |
| 1952 | 6 | 65 years 6 months |
| 1953 | 7 | 65 years 7 months |
| 1954 | 8 | 65 years 8 months |
| 1955 | 9 | 65 years 9 months |
| 1956 | 10 | 65 years 10 months |
| 1957 | 11 | 65 years 11 months |
| 1958 | 12 | 66 years |
| 1959 | 14 | 66 years 2 months |
| 1960 | 16 | 66 years 4 months |
| 1961 | 18 | 66 years 6 months |
| 1962 | 20 | 66 years 8 months |
| 1963 | 22 | 66 years 10 months |
| from 1964 | no more steps | 67 years |
Section 235(2) SGB VI provides exceptions for certain groups. They concern people born before 1955 who agreed on part-time work for older employees before 2007, and recipients of adjustment payments for dismissed mining employees. If you belong to one of these groups, clarify your date with the pension insurance.
What is the standard retirement age, and what is it not?
The standard retirement age is the age at which the standard old-age pension is available without deduction. It is not the same as the earliest possible start of a pension. An old-age pension before the standard retirement age, for example for long-term insured persons from 63, comes with deductions. How high they are is shown in our guide to the pension deduction for early retirement (in German): 0.3 percent per month of early claiming.
Besides age, you need the general qualifying period, that is five years of insurance time, for the standard old-age pension. Which periods count is explained in the guide to the five-year qualifying period (in German). The pension is not paid automatically, you have to apply. How that works is explained in Rentenantrag stellen (in German).
Is the standard retirement age set to rise after 2031?
The pension commission handed over 33 recommendations on 23 June 2026. One concerns the standard retirement age: after 2031 it should be adjusted moderately to life expectancy, in a ratio of 2 to 1 between working life and retirement. According to current data of the Federal Statistical Office it would rise gradually between 2031 and 2041 by about six months, from 67 to 67.5 years. That is how the federal government summarises it in its pension reform FAQ of 2 July 2026.
According to the federal government, all commission proposals are only recommendations. On 2 July 2026 the coalition committee declared that it wants to implement them fully and swiftly, and the Chancellor named the end of 2026 as the target for completing the legislative process. The page does not mention a bill on the proposals. Legally, 67 therefore still applies to everyone from birth year 1964. For young adults, background is in Rente mit 70: Was die Debatte bedeutet (in German) and, on how long the pension level is secured, in Haltelinie beim Rentenniveau (in German).
How do you calculate your personal date?
Example with assumptions: you were born on 15 June 1990. You belong to the cohorts from 1964, so the standard retirement age is 67. You complete age 67 on 15 June 2057. From that date you count if you want to start earlier or later: each month earlier reduces the pension by 0.3 percent, each month later raises it by 0.5 percent. Entitlement also depends on the qualifying period and on you applying for the pension.
Frequently asked questions
Does 67 apply to everyone born from 1964?
Yes, under current law. For insured persons born on or after 1 January 1964, the standard retirement age is reached at the completion of age 67. An increase after 2031 has so far only been recommended by the pension commission.
What applies to the 1960 cohort?
For the 1960 cohort, the standard retirement age is 66 years and 4 months, an increase of 16 months. The values for all cohorts from 1947 to 1963 are in the table above.
Do I have to work until the standard retirement age?
No. Under certain conditions you can draw an old-age pension earlier, but with a deduction of 0.3 percent per month. A deduction-free pension for particularly long-term insured persons requires 45 insurance years.
Will the standard retirement age be raised to 70?
That is not decided. The pension commission recommends adjusting to life expectancy after 2031, which according to Federal Statistical Office data would lead to about 67.5 years by 2041. A limit of 70 is not part of this proposal.
Where do I see my personal retirement date?
The pension statement of the German Pension Insurance shows your status. Your birth date and the cohort table are enough for the standard retirement age itself.
What to do next
- Note your birth year and read your standard retirement age from the table, or use 67 if you were born from 1964.
- Work out the date by adding the age limit to your birth date.
- Use your pension statement to check whether the five-year qualifying period is met and how high your entitlement is.
- Watch whether parliament implements the commission’s recommendations and plan supplementary provision. If you would like a personal assessment, you can get advice from Academycon (in German).
Related guides
- Rentenabschlag: Was ein früherer Renteneintritt kostet
- Welche Zeiten zählen für die Rentenwartezeit von 5 Jahren?
- Rente mit 70: Was die Debatte für junge Erwachsene bedeutet
- Haltelinie beim Rentenniveau: Was nach 2031 passieren könnte
- Pension Insurance for Students in Germany: Rules
Sources: Section 35 SGB VI, standard old-age pension, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German) (accessed 2 November 2026); Section 235 SGB VI, standard old-age pension for those born before 1964, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Federal Government, FAQ on pension reform, page dated 2 July 2026 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
