With the current cost of living, the French and especially retirees are struggling to make ends meet. How much is a comfortable retirement?
Given inflation and the constant increase in the cost of living, some retirees may find themselves in a precarious financial situation. In 2024, the minimum retirement pension is €746.71 for a full career as an employee and self-employed worker (excluding liberal professions), and €892.49 in the most favorable scenario, i.e. say after certain increases.
According to an Ifop survey for the JDD90% of those questioned make the fight against the cost of living an absolute priority.
Here is the amount of a comfortable retirement according to a study
A retiree should receive a minimum of 1,634 euros monthly to be able to live in a decent manner while covering all of their needs. This figure was calculated based on information collected based on various criteria. The study focused on the most significant expenses such as housing, food, transportation and medical care.
However, between 2015 and now, purchasing capacity has seen a drastic drop. Even if retirement pensions “increased by an average of 1.7%, all plans combined between 2015 and 2020“, as the organization points out, inflation has, for its part, climbed 4.8% ! According to the DREES, the average income of retirees was 2,130 euros in 2018, compared to 2,050 euros for the general population. The fact that retirees no longer have dependent children automatically increases their standard of living, even if their retirement pensions are not very high.
In 2018, we noted that 13% of retirees lived on less than 1,180 euros per month, while 21% exceeded 2,570 euros per month and 10% had more than 3,250 euros. According to the Meilleurstaux.com website, retirees are generally half as likely to live in poverty as the rest of the population.
What is the average retirement amount in France in 2022?
The average direct retirement pension (including any increase for three or more children) for all plans combined is 1,509 euros gross monthly among retirees residing in France. Which corresponds to 1,400 euros net per month, underlines the DREES in its report. According to CNAV data, there were 15,049,171 retirees under the general scheme as of December 31, 2022.
Nearly 2.8 million retirees receive a derived right (a survivor’s pension in 99% of cases) and among them, 25% do not receive a direct right to the general system. But some receive a meager pension since, according to Statista10% of French retirees are below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold in 2021 and receive 60% of the national median disposable income.
