Pension beneficiaries by type of pension, sex and means-testing by country
Countries reporting
35
Highest
23.40 million
Germany
Lowest
92,460
Iceland
Median
1.83 million
Years covered
19
2006–2024
Data points
683
What the numbers show
Pension beneficiaries by type of pension, sex and means-testing is currently reported for 35 countries. The highest value is 23.40 million in Germany; the lowest is 92,460 in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.83 million, and the mean is 4.21 million.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 253.
Over the past decade 25 countries rose and 10 fell. The largest increase was in Iceland (up 47.8%), and the largest decrease in Greece (down 8.0%).
Pension beneficiaries by type of pension, sex and means-testing: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 23.40 million | 2023 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 2 | France | 22.07 million | 2023 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 3 | Italy | 15.81 million | 2024 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 4 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 15.72 million | 2018 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 5 | Poland | 10.69 million | 2024 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 6 | Spain | 10.38 million | 2024 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 7 | Romania | 4.98 million | 2023 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 8 | Netherlands | 4.48 million | 2024 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 9 | Belgium | 3.23 million | 2023 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 10 | Switzerland | 3.23 million | 2023 | up 13.7% | rising |
| 11 | Czechia | 2.95 million | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 12 | Portugal | 2.94 million | 2024 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 13 | Sweden | 2.84 million | 2024 | up 8.0% | rising |
| 14 | Austria | 2.64 million | 2024 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 15 | Greece | 2.45 million | 2023 | down 8.0% | falling |
| 16 | Hungary | 2.10 million | 2024 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 17 | Bulgaria | 2.05 million | 2024 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 18 | Slovakia | 1.83 million | 2024 | up 30.3% | rising |
| 19 | Finland | 1.66 million | 2024 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 20 | Serbia | 1.62 million | 2024 | down 5.0% | flat |
| 21 | Denmark | 1.52 million | 2023 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 22 | Norway | 1.50 million | 2023 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 23 | Croatia | 1.23 million | 2024 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 24 | Ireland | 1.20 million | 2024 | up 35.7% | rising |
| 25 | Lithuania | 939,902 | 2023 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 26 | Albania | 713,111 | 2023 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 27 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 713,108 | 2023 | up 14.0% | rising |
| 28 | Slovenia | 683,714 | 2023 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 29 | Latvia | 576,305 | 2024 | down 3.7% | flat |
| 30 | Estonia | 427,810 | 2024 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 31 | Luxembourg | 240,374 | 2024 | up 39.5% | rising |
| 32 | Cyprus | 191,370 | 2024 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 33 | Montenegro | 125,819 | 2023 | up 3.7% | flat |
| 34 | Malta | 104,599 | 2024 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 35 | Iceland | 92,460 | 2023 | up 47.8% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 123.08 million
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 98.13 million
- Euro area – 20 countries (2023-2025) 96.09 million
- Türkiye 17.48 million