From July 1, annual pension adjustments in Germany will also translate into higher payouts for Poles receiving German benefits. More than 110,000 Polish citizens who have earned the right to a German pension will benefit from the increase, which outpaces the projected inflation rate for 2026.
Deutsche Post has begun sending 21.5 million letters to pensioners, including about 1.5 million to people living outside Germany, many of whom reside in Poland. The German Bundesrat definitively approved the 4.24% pension increase on June 12, 2026, well above the estimated 2.1% inflation forecast for Germany this year.
The pensions are paid to two distinct groups of Poles. One group consists of those who emigrated to Germany and live there permanently – the German equivalent of ZUS pays out about 83,317 such pensions. The second group comprises Poles who worked in Germany but returned to Poland upon retirement – they receive 27,376 payments.
Average payouts reveal stark differences
The data shows significant disparities in benefit amounts depending on where the pensioner lives. A Polish citizen who stayed in Germany receives an average of 1,014 euros per month. In contrast, a Pole collecting a German pension while living in Poland gets an average of only 246 euros monthly.
– The difference stems from the fact that retirees living in Poland usually worked in Germany for just a few or a dozen years, so their German capital is correspondingly smaller – explained the daily 'Fakt’.
No minimum pension in Germany
Germany does not have a concept of a 'minimum pension’. Benefits after reaching retirement age depend on how long a person worked and how much they earned. This system explains why the average for Poles who stayed in Germany is higher – they typically have longer employment histories and higher lifetime earnings within the German system.
The 4.24% increase will apply to all recipients, including the 110,000-plus Poles, regardless of their country of residence. The decisions by the Bundesrat are now final, and the higher payments will start flowing from July 1.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/RomanR
