Old age pension: More than 1.6 million pensioners under €870

ANDm 2025, more than 1.6 million pensioners received less than EUR 870 per month of old age pension, the equivalent of the national minimum wage (NWS) that year, according to data released by Pordata and consulted by News to Minutes.

In total, there were 1,608,380 individuals last year receiving a monthly pension below the minimum wage. 

The information was first advanced by Morning Mail, who did the accounts and revealed that the indicator shows so that almost three out of four retired by old age receive from Social Security less than the minimum wage.

In case of invalidity pension, the number is also significant: in 2025, 141.089 beneficiaries received less than 870 euros. 

The total number of old age pensioners was 2,165,034 also last year, the highest value ever and 15,438 more than in 2024.

For values that pensioners receive, not yet 2025 numbers, but in 2024 half of old-age pensioners received a pension below eur 462, although the average is eur 645, according to data analyzed by economists of Banco de Portugal (BdP).

According to the analysis of the Social Security microdata for 2024 made by the economists of the central bank, there was “a high dispersion”, with half of the old age pensioners of the general scheme receiving less than 462 euros and 5% receiving more than 1,685 euros.

Old age and sickness absorbed more than 75% of social benefits

Old age and illness have absorbed more than 75% of social benefits, revealed the National Institute of Statistics (INE), by disseminating data from the Integrated Social Protection Statistics System for 2024.

As pension expenditure amounted to eur 37,677 million, representing 56.1% of the total value of social benefits provided by social protection schemes and reflects an evolution of the nominal value less pronounced than that observed for social benefits in general.

As old age pensions remain the “most expressive” category, representing 78.5% of the total amount of pensions, according to the NSA.

In 2024, revenues from total social protection schemes were €79,514 million, with contributions from public administrations being the main source of revenue, with 42.5% of the total, following employers' social contributions (30.9%), indicated the INE in the Highlight published online.

Compared with 2023, with the European Union, it highlights “the largest contribution of pensions to social protection expenditure in Portugal”: 53.6% against 44.2% in the European Union.

“ In terms of contribution to the total, expenditure in Portugal falls short of that found in the European Union, especially in benefits associated with housing, unemployment and family”, said the INE.

In 2024, revenue from all social protection schemes amounted to EUR 79.5 billion.