April 2026
29Apr

Germany’s birth rate reached lowest level on record in 2025

Germany's birth rate fell to its lowest post-World War II level in 2025. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), around 655,000 live births were recorded in 2025, compared to around 680,00 in 2024. Last year, the country recorded more than one million deaths. This brings the birth deficit to around 350,000, setting yet another record. Declining birth rates for the fourth year in Germany Last year marked the fourth consecutive year of decline in the birth rate and the lowest level since 1946. Germany's current replacement rate is at 1.35...

April 29, 2026
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20Apr

Germany. Lufthansa resumes flights

The German airline “Lufthansa“ (Lufthansa) announced that flights were resumed as scheduled today after a series of strikes during the week, BTA reported. “Everything resumed as planned“, a spokeswoman told DPA after thousands of flights were canceled. Around 650 flights were canceled at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's main aviation hub, on Friday alone, and more than 400 at Munich Airport. Together with the cabin crew union “Ufo“ (Ufo), the pilots' union “Vereinigung Cockpit“ (VC) suspended operations “Lufthansa“, “Lufthansa Cargo“ and “Cityline“ for five...

April 20, 2026
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17Apr

Opt-in or Opt-out? The Power of Defaults in Pension Enrollment Choices

By Tabea Bucher-Koenen, Luisa Wallossek & Joachim Winter Default settings strongly increase pension enrollment, especially when savings incentives are high and choices are complex. We show that the effect is weaker when incentives are low, options are simple, and opting out is easy. We study the nationwide introduction of auto-enrollment for lowincome employees in Germany's public pay-as-you-go pension system. We find that automatic enrollment raises participation by 23 percentage points, though most individuals actively opt out. Linking administrative and survey data...

April 17, 2026
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10Apr

Opt-in or Opt-out? The Power of Defaults in Pension Enrollment Choices

By Tabea Bucher-Koenen, Luisa Wallossek & Joachim K. Winter Default settings strongly increase pension enrollment, especially when savings incentives are high and choices are complex. We show that the effect is weaker when incentives are low, options are simple, and opting out is easy. We study the nationwide introduction of auto-enrollment for low-income employees in Germany's public pay-as-you-go pension system. We find that automatic enrollment raises participation by 23 percentage points, though most individuals actively opt out. Linking administrative and...

April 10, 2026
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March 2026
24Mar

Germany eyes boost in pension investment via global equities

The German government, policymakers and occupational industry stakeholders are seeking to channel more pension savings into global equity markets to support economic growth. Michael Schrodi, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance, said the government aims to reach the widest possible audience to encourage greater capital market investment and build “future-proof” occupational and private pensions. The second-pillar reform lays the groundwork for broader adoption of defined contribution (DC) plans and higher-yield occupational pensions among low earners. Meanwhile, a public...

March 24, 2026
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09Mar

German pensions to rise by 4,24 percent in July

The German government has announced that statutory pension payments will increase by 4,24 percent from July 1, 2026. The increase, which will benefit around 21 million pensioners in Germany, is slightly higher than a prognosis increase issued in the autumn. According to the Federal Labour Ministry, this will increase the current pension value (aktueller Rentenwert) from 40,79 euros to 42,52 euros. Why is this figure significant? The German pension system is points-based. A year’s contributions at the average earnings of all contributors earns you one “pension point”...

March 9, 2026
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06Mar

The Impact of Pension System Reforms on Elderly Labor Force Participation: A Comparative Study of Germany, the United States, and Brazil

By Amos Kupaza Objective: This study provides the first harmonized, micro‑level comparative analysis of pension reform effects on elderly labor force participation in three paradigmatic welfare regimes: Germany (coordinated market economy, conservative‑corporatist welfare), the United States (liberal market economy, liberal welfare), and Brazil (dualistic economy, conservative‑informal welfare). We test the institutional mediation hypothesis: that reform effects are systematically shaped by labor market structures, social protection arrangements, and production regimes. Methods: We employ harmonized microdata from IPUMS-CPS (USA) and IPUMS-International (Germany, Brazil) , comprising 495,000 person‑year observations spanning 2000–2023....

March 6, 2026
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February 2026
26Feb

Germany’s retirement savings shake-up: What banks need to know

Germany is overhauling its state-subsidised retirement savings framework, and financial institutions have a firm deadline to prepare for. The federal government approved a pension reform law in late 2025, with parliamentary proceedings underway in 2026. If passed — which appears near-certain — the legislation will bring the Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD), or retirement provision depot, into force from 1 January 2027. From that date, no new contracts under the old Riester model will be permitted. fincite, which offers an end-to-end digital asset...

February 26, 2026
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25Feb

Revolutionary ‘Department of Future Aging’ transformed a German town for its elders

The world is getting older, and it’s getting older quickly. In 2019, there were approximately 700 million people aged 65 and older. The UN predicts that the number will more than double by 2050. In the U.S., the Census Bureau estimates that retirement-age residents will outnumber children for the first time in the nation’s history by the 2030s. Clearly, helping the aging population live their later years with as much comfort and dignity as possible is a growing concern. And one German town is...

February 25, 2026
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13Feb

Lufthansa Strike Puts Pension Dispute And Long Term Profitability In Focus

Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Deutsche Lufthansa (XTRA:LHA) is facing a coordinated 24 hour strike by pilots and cabin crew. The walkout is set to affect departures across all German airports. The dispute centers on retirement and pension funding, with management citing limited financial flexibility. The action is expected to disrupt passenger travel and Lufthansa's near term operations. For you as an investor, this strike sits at...

February 13, 2026
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