July 2026

Germany’s ruling coalition to meet for crunch talks on reform package

The leaders of Germany's ruling coalition parties are meeting on Wednesday for what could be decisive talks on their reform package, with decisions on tax relief for low and middle incomes, labour market reforms, pensions, health care and long-term care all on the agenda. Whether decisions will be reached on Wednesday is unclear. Negotiations could also run into the night, with the coalition determined not to let itself be pressured by deadlines. A commission has already put forward proposals on pension...

June 2026

German reforms could see €400bn private pension boost

Germany’s reform of its public and occupational pension system could see more than €400bn flow into the scheme over the next decade, following recommendations made in a report published on Tuesday by the country’s pension commission. In an 80-page submission, the commission –  Alterssicherungskommission – made 33 recommendations to the government as to how to reform the country’s public and occupational pensions. If fully implemented, IPE analysis suggests the reforms could see capital inflows of more than €400bn across the pillars...

Merz backs plans to raise Germany’s retirement age to 70 in pension changes

Germany will gradually raise its retirement age to about 70 by the early 2090s under recommendations backed by the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as a means of future-proofing the pension system for an ageing population. Presenting its findings on Tuesday, an expert commission set up to explore reforms to the pension system said retirement age should be linked to rising life expectancy and early retirement should be scrapped. “No citizen needs to worry,” said Merz, as he said the measures would prevent the collapse...

Spain. Pension specialists denounce the short-term approach and demand reforms with a long-term horizon

Several pension specialists have denounced this Tuesday the short-term nature that, in their opinion, has dominated the debate on the future of the system and have urged to face its sustainability with a long-term perspective. In a conference promoted by Funcas and the Association of Journalists of Economic Information (APIE), the professor of Sociology at UNED and researcher at Funcas, Elisa Chuliá, stated that the 2023 pension reform has implied a "paradigm shift" compared to previous modifications. As she explained, while...

Ukraine plans to completely change pension calculation system

Ukraine is preparing a major pension reform that would completely overhaul the pension calculation system. According to Censor.NET, this was announced by MP Olga Vasylevska-Smahliuk while commenting on the government’s reform proposal. Under the proposed changes, pensions would consist of two parts: a basic component and an insurance component. What the government is proposing The basic portion of the pension will be funded by the state. The insurance portion will depend on a person’s length of service and the contributions they have paid. The government is also proposing to introduce...

Spain. AIReF confirms that the pension reform does not guarantee sustainability

The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) maintains that the approved pension reform does not guarantee long-term financial viability. The system survives now, but the future is uncertain and the economic situation is becoming more complicated. The new AIReF report, presented on May 30, 2026, updates forecasts for the 2022-2050 period and confirms that the deficit and public debt will increase due to the impact of an aging population and insufficient measures. Formal compliance with the spending rule but with red flags The...

May 2026

Belgium approves controversial wage index reform and pension changes

Belgium’s federal parliament has approved a controversial package of budget measures, including the new “centenindex” system that will limit automatic wage and benefit increases for some workers and pensioners. The measures were passed late on Thursday night after months of political debate and delays. The government says the reforms are needed to reduce Belgium’s budget deficit and keep pensions affordable in the long term. For many expats and newcomers to Belgium, the most important change is the centenindex. Belgium normally links...

UK. Triple lock row intensifies as major pension reforms take effect

Triple lock under threat as new pension law comes into force The Pensions Schemes Act 2026, now law, aims to simplify and strengthen pension provision through measures like automatic consolidation of small pots, creation of large-scale 'megafunds', a standardised value-for-money framework, and legal duties for retirement advice. Ministers argue these changes could add up to £29,000 to the average pension pot and benefit more than 20 million workers, with some provisions phased in over several years. However, former pensions minister...

Chile’s Pension Reform: A Good Idea Running Out of Chances

By Dr. Arturo Cifuentes Original ideas seldom get a second chance to be implemented successfully. The Chilean pension system is one of the few exceptions. To grasp how much is at stake in the coming months—a third opportunity might never happen—we need to go back to its origins and identify the key events that shaped its evolution. The Chilean pension system was the brainchild of José Piñera, who, as minister of labor and social security, conceived its basic architecture in 1981. The...

Spain. Pension spending marks a new high of 14,366 million in May, 6.1% more year-on-year

Social Security has allocated in this month of May a historic disbursement of 14,365.8 million euros to pay the ordinary payroll of contributory pensions, which represents an increase of 6.1% compared to the same period in 2025, as communicated this Tuesday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations. This payroll incorporates the revaluation of pensions approved by the Government for 2026. In general, the increase applied is 2.7%, in line with the average CPI recorded between December 2024...