The gaugeRetirement · amount
French basic state pension: the average salary, the rate, the pro rata, the reduction and the bonus
The French basic pension of a private-sector employee equals the average salary of the 25 best years, times a rate of at most 50%, times the quarters in the general scheme over the required quarters. Each missing quarter before 67 takes 0.625 point off the rate, up to 20 (article R351-27 of the Social Security Code). Since 1 September 2026, some parents have only 24 or 23 years counted.
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Example questions
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How is the basic pension of the general scheme worked out?
Average annual salary × rate × quarters validated in the general scheme ÷ required quarters, that last ratio being capped at 1; the annual result is divided by 12 (Social Security Code, article L351-1; service-public fiche F21552).
The required quarters depend on the date of birth: 170 for people born from 1963 to March 1965, 171 from April to December 1965 and 172 from 1966 (article L161-17-3). Quarters in other schemes count for the rate, not for the share paid by the general scheme.
Sources: CSS L351-1 · CSS L161-17-3 · Service-public F21552
Which years go into the average annual salary?
The 25 best years, each annual salary counted up to the social security ceiling of its year, then revalued (Social Security Code, articles R173-3-2 and R351-29). With fewer years worked, the average covers those years.
Since 1 September 2026, parents receiving extra insurance quarters for children have only 24 years counted for one child, 23 for two or more, with nothing to do (Assurance retraite).
Sources: CSS R173-3-2 · CSS R351-29 · Assurance retraite
How does the reduction (décote) lower the pension rate?
Without the required quarters across all schemes and before 67, the 50% rate is reduced by 1.25% per quarter, so 0.625 point, on the smaller of two numbers: the quarters missing or the quarters left until 67, rounded up (Social Security Code, article R351-27).
The reduction covers at most 20 quarters, so a rate of 37.5% (fiche F21552). At 67, the full rate applies whatever the number of quarters (article L351-8).
Sources: CSS R351-27 · Service-public F21552 · CSS L351-8
How does the bonus (surcote) raise the pension?
Each quarter contributed after the legal age and beyond the required quarters raises the pension by 1.25% for quarters since 2009, up to 4 quarters a year (Social Security Code, article D351-1-4).
In the year of the legal age, only the full calendar quarters after the one containing the birthday count. The bonus can take the pension above the maximum of €2,002.50 gross a month for a pension starting in 2026 (fiche F21552).
Sources: CSS D351-1-4 · Service-public F21552
How much basic pension will you receive?
Give your date of birth, the planned start date in 2026, your average annual salary and your quarters: the gauge places the gross monthly pension between the contributory minimum and the 2026 maximum. The example: born on 15 March 1963, leaving on 1 October 2026, €30,000 of average salary, 160 quarters in the general scheme and 164 across all schemes.
Fictional example · basic pension gauge
About €1,088.24 gross a month of basic pension, at a 46.25% rate.
- Required quarters
- 170 quarters
- Reduction quarters
- 6
- Rate
- 46.25%
- Pro rata
- 160 / 170
- Gross annual pension
- €13,058.82
- Gross monthly pension
- €1,088.24
- €756Contributory minimum, at the full rate
- €2,0032026 maximum, excluding the bonus
Gross estimate of the Assurance retraite basic pension, excluding the supplementary pension. The tool does not check whether you can leave on the date chosen.
Which rate applies for each number of reduction quarters?
The rate applied to the average annual salary, before the pro rata, by the quarters counted for the reduction.
| Reduction quarters | Rate applied | For a €30,000 average salary, full quarters |
|---|---|---|
| 0, full rate | 50% | €1,250.00 a month |
| 4 | 47.5% | €1,187.50 a month |
| 8 | 45% | €1,125.00 a month |
| 12 | 42.5% | €1,062.50 a month |
| 16 | 40% | €1,000.00 a month |
| 20, the maximum | 37.5% | €937.50 a month |
Gross basic pension amounts before the pro rata, excluding the supplementary pension: 0.625 point less per reduction quarter.
Sources: CSS R351-27 · Service-public F21552
What changed in the pension calculation in 2025 and 2026?
The required quarters, the maximum for the year and the years counted for parents.
In its wording of this date, article L161-17-3 of the Social Security Code sets the required quarters at 170 for people born from 1963 to March 1965, 171 from April to December 1965 and 172 from 1966.
Source: CSS L161-17-3
For a pension starting in 2026, the basic pension cannot exceed €2,002.50 gross a month, excluding the bonus (fiche F21552).
Source: Service-public F21552
The average salary of parents receiving child-related extra quarters is worked out over 24 years, or 23 from two children (Social Security Code, article R173-3-2; Assurance retraite).
Sources: CSS R173-3-2 · Assurance retraite
What does article R351-27 of the Social Security Code say about the rate?
The text of the 50% full rate and of the reduction per missing quarter.
1°) pour les assurés qui justifient dans le régime général ou dans ce régime et un ou plusieurs autres régimes de base obligatoires, de périodes d’assurance et de périodes reconnues équivalentes […] d’une durée au moins égale à la limite prévue à l’article L. 161-17-3, le taux applicable à leur salaire annuel de base est le « taux plein », soit 50 %.
[…] Le plus petit de ces deux nombres est pris en considération. Pour chaque trimestre ainsi retenu, le coefficient de minoration à appliquer au « taux plein » est 1,25 %.
In English, briefly (our summary, not an official translation): Insured people with, in the general scheme alone or with other basic schemes, insurance periods at least equal to the limit of article L161-17-3 get the full rate, 50%. For the others, the full rate is reduced by a coefficient of 1.25% for each quarter counted, taking the smaller of two numbers: the quarters between the pension start and the age of the automatic full rate, and the quarters still needed to reach the required duration.
What do future retirees ask about the amount of their pension?
Is the Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension included?
No. This calculation covers only the basic pension of the Assurance retraite; the supplementary pension, worked out in points, comes on top.
Is there a minimum basic pension?
Yes, for a full-rate pension: the contributory minimum guarantees at least €756.29 gross a month, up to €903.94 if all your quarters were contributed, as long as all your pensions together stay under €1,410.89 gross a month (fiche F21552).
Do quarters in other schemes count?
For the rate, yes: the required quarters are assessed across all basic schemes. For the share paid by the Assurance retraite, only general-scheme quarters enter the pro rata (fiche F21552).
Do you have to ask for the 24- or 23-year calculation?
No: the Assurance retraite applies it itself to parents receiving child-related extra quarters, since 1 September 2026.
Which texts is this basic pension gauge based on?
- Social Security Code, article L351-1 (pension calculation)Légifrance, in French
- Social Security Code, article L161-17-3 (required quarters)Légifrance, in French
- Social Security Code, article R351-27 (full rate and reduction)Légifrance, in French
- Social Security Code, article R173-3-2 (number of years counted)Légifrance, in French
- Social Security Code, article R351-29 (salaries counted)Légifrance, in French
- Social Security Code, article L351-8 (full rate at 67)Légifrance, in French
- Calculating an employee’s basic pension (fiche F21552)Service-public.fr, in French · checked by the publisher on 1 September 2026
- Social Security Code, article D351-1-4 (bonus)Légifrance, in French
- Changes in the pension calculation for parentsAssurance retraite, in French · updated on 15 September 2026
Texts cited last checked: 26 September 2026