Evolution of the supplementary pension gap

These figures cover the statutory pension, the supplementary pension and the total pension. To better understand the factors behind these inequalities, the results are also analysed according to various socio‑economic characteristics.

The main findings are brought together in the ‘Pension Gap Annual Overview’, a visual, clear and concise publication that provides insight into the differences between women and men.

The studied population 

Our analysis population consists of individuals who received a retirement pension for the first time in 2024, without combining it with a survivor’s pension or a divorce pension.

In total, this group includes 114,862 new retirees: 56% men and 44% women.

Not everyone receives a supplementary pension upon retirement. In our population, 69% of men receive a supplementary pension, compared with only half of women.

Among the new retirees who do have a supplementary pension, 63% are men and 37% are women. This population will be presented throughout the rest of the article.

Supplementary pension gap between men and women

On average, women receive a supplementary pension that is more than twice as low as that of men: €46,933 compared with €100,766.

However, these average amounts provide only a limited picture of reality. A small number of new retirees received exceptionally high supplementary pensions, which pulls the average upwards.

Share of the supplementary pension in the total pension

The gap in supplementary pensions between women and men is reflected not only in the amounts they receive. It also affects the composition of the total pension for both groups.

The figures show that the supplementary pension represents 7% of the total pension for men, whereas for women this share amounts to only 3%.

Evolution of the supplementary pension gap

This gap is not new. When we look at its evolution over several years, we see that it not only remains large but has also increased. As the graph below shows, the gap in supplementary pensions rose from 44% in 2019 to 53% in 2024. This indicates persistent inequalities between women and men in terms of supplementary pension rights.”

You can find the annual overview of the pension gap hereay11.link.new_window. All other figures are available in the ‘Gender & Pension’ section on the PensionStat.beay11.link.new_window website.