According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, the average monthly household net income for pensioners aged 65 and older in Germany is €2,330. Specifically, households in the eastern federal states, including Berlin, report a median net household income of €2,270, while those in the western states average €2,350.
The median income represents the typical midpoint of the income distribution, where half of the households earn more and half earn less. The study focused on households comprised exclusively of pensioners or retirees aged 65 and older, numbering about 13.6 million people in 2025-10.5 million in the west and 3.1 million in the east.
The income of these retirees is primarily sourced from age-related revenues, such as statutory, company, or private pensions. Nationally, 93% of the income for these household types derives from pensions and retirement payments. Just under 4% of the income comes from assets, such as rental or capital earnings, 2% from transfer payments (like old-age basic security), and 1% from employment.
Regionally, the sources of income show slight variations: in the eastern states, pensions and retirement payments account for an average of 96% of the income, with asset income making up only 1%. In western states, pensioners draw 92% of their household income from pensions, while asset income accounts for a better proportion, at 4%. Differences in the income structure stemming from other transfer payments (2%) or employment (1%) are negligible between the East and West.
Regarding financial security, the poverty risk rate for people aged 65 and over was 18.9% nationwide, according to the EU-SILC 2025 data. The poverty risk was nearly equal in the eastern states (18.5%) and the western states (19.0%). For comparison, the national poverty risk across the entire population was 16.1%, rising to 17.6% in eastern states and falling to 15.8% in western states. This rate measures relative income poverty, defined by the EU as having less than 60% of the median equivalent income of the total population.
It is important to note that assets, such as owner-occupied real estate, are not included in the income calculation unless they generate rent or capital earnings. In 2025, 57% of retirees aged 65 and over nationwide lived in owned housing, and 43% rented. In the western federal states, 61% of retirees owned their homes, compared to 39% renting. The situation was the reverse in the eastern states: 44% owned their homes, while 56% rented.
