Based on preliminary results from the 2025 Microcensus, the Federal Statistical Office announced Tuesday that approximately 13.3 million employed people in Germany will exceed the statutory retirement age of 67 over the next 15 years. This figure represents 30 percent of all working individuals available in the labor market last year.
In the coming years, the generation of baby boomers-the largest cohorts in number-will retire. Younger age groups are unable to compensate for this decline entirely. In 2025, individuals aged 60 to 64 accounted for 4.5 million employed people, corresponding to an employment rate of 69.5 percent. Among the 55- to 59-year-olds, 85.3 percent were still active in the labor market, totaling 5.5 million employed individuals. Together, these two age groups comprised 10 million employed people.
To counteract the future shortage of skilled labor, there is discussion about increasing the participation of older people in the workforce. The proportion of employed people aged 55 and older has increased from 20.7 percent in 2015 to 27 percent in 2025. Furthermore, the share of people aged 65 and older among all employed individuals has risen from 2.5 percent in 2015 to 4.3 percent in 2025.
