According to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Forsa, most people in Germany oppose raising the retirement age. Only a minority supports the proposal put forward by the so-called “Age Security Commission,” which suggests gradually increasing the retirement age to 67.5 years, based on data from the “Trendbarometer” of RTL and ntv.
The Age Security Commission’s primary suggestion is to gradually raise the retirement age by six months, from 67 to 67.5 years, between 2031 and 2041, aligning it with increasing life expectancy. Among the surveyed German citizens, 29 percent deemed this measure appropriate, while another seven percent felt the retirement age should be raised even more significantly. However, a clear majority of 62 percent maintained that the retirement age should not be raised at all.
This rejection stance is particularly pronounced within specific social groups. East Germans (73 percent) and employed individuals (68 percent) expressed stronger opposition to any increase. The opposition was even more pronounced among supporters of the Left (77 percent) and the AfD (84 percent), who largely prefer to adhere to the current age limit. Among SPD supporters, 37 percent approved the commission’s proposal, whereas 55 percent wanted the retirement age to remain unchanged.
Support for increasing the retirement age was primarily observed in other political blocs. A majority of surveyed supporters of the Union parties (58 percent) and the Greens (55 percent) advocated for raising the retirement age.
