German pension payouts schedule 2026 and funding gap highlighted

The Deutsche Rentenversicherung and Deutsche Post explain that pension payments in Germany are transferred on the last banking day of each month. When the final calendar day falls on a weekend or public holiday, the payout is moved forward. For 2026, the months affected are January, February, May, June and October, with specific dates listed for both post‑payment and pre‑payment retirees.

Separately, German authorities note that the statutory pension level is set to fall from 48 % of average net earnings in 2025 to about 46 % by 2039, creating a sizable retirement‑income gap. The gender pension gap stands at 36.2 %, and a growing share of seniors must work beyond age 65 for financial reasons. Experts advise supplementing the state pension with private savings, recommending diversified equity‑ETF investments to achieve the target of roughly 80 % of a worker’s final net salary in retirement.

Retirees experiencing delayed payments are advised to contact the pension service using the provided phone numbers, while those seeking to close the funding gap are encouraged to consider long‑term ETF savings plans.