Pension freeze proposal under consideration

The French government is thinking about freezing pensions at 2,034 euros gross as part of its 2027 budget plan. This move is intended to reduce public spending, with officials citing the rise in pension payments during the 2022-2023 inflation crisis as a key reason.

Current pension levels in France

According to the 2026 Retirees' Panorama by the Drees, the average pension for retirees in France was 1,752 euros gross at the end of 2024. This is higher than the 1,666 euros recorded at the end of 2023, and it includes both basic and supplementary pensions.

Pension differences for new retirees

First-time pension recipients in 2024 had an average of 1,637 euros gross, which is below the overall average. The number of new retirees dropped by 7% compared to 2023, largely due to a higher minimum age for retirement, which was introduced in 2023 but later paused.

Gender gap in pension amounts

Men receive significantly higher pensions than women, with an average of 2,186 euros gross for men compared to 1,383 euros for women. This gap has narrowed from 50% in 2004 to 37% in 2024, but it remains a major issue in the pension system.

Pension costs and proposed savings

Pensions accounted for 13.5% of France’s GDP in 2024, up from 13.1% in 2023, mainly due to inflation-linked increases. Total pension payments rose to 395 billion euros in 2024, from 370 billion euros in 2023. The government aimed to save 4.1 billion euros by deindexing higher pensions, but this idea was rejected by the Social Affairs committee.