Costs for retired civil servants continue to rise
Germany is spending more and more money on its former civil servants. Last year, the sum rose to more than 53 billion euros. In addition, more people in the public sector are retiring overall.
The number of retired civil servants rose by one percent between 2022 and January 1, 2023. This means that almost 1.4 million retirees in the public sector will receive an average of 3240 euros gross per month. The amount of remuneration rose by 70 euros, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. Expenditure for former civil servants amounted to 53.4 billion euros in 2022. Together with survivors' pensions of 8.4 billion euros for almost 380,000 people, this corresponded to around 1.6 percent of gross domestic product.
In comparison: in 2021, expenditure amounted to 52.5 billion euros and, together with the survivors' pension of 8.3 billion euros, accounted for 1.7 percent of GDP.
Pension costs have always been a contentious issue - mainly because many pensions are significantly lower. At the beginning of the year, left-wing politician Dietmar Bartsch lamented the disparity between pensions and pensions: "If 82% of pensions in the country are below 1,500 euros, but at the same time more than 70% of pensions are above 2,000 euros, the findings are clear: at the end of a long working life, there is a two-tier society in old age."
Sharp rise in teachers over
In the federal sector, the number of pensioners fell by 1.0% from 2022 to 2023. In the state sector, it rose by 1.8 percent and in the municipal sector by 3.1 percent. The largest group is the education sector (33% of all retirees), with former railroad and postal workers making up the second largest group at 20%.
"Between 2000 and 2020, the number of retirees increased significantly," reported the Wiesbaden statisticians. It had risen by 54 percent within 20 years, mainly due to many teachers retiring. Now the number of new retirements in the teaching profession is at its lowest level since 2004.
79 percent of the 59,000 new retirees left at an average age of 63 years and 9 months. 17 percent retired before reaching retirement age due to disability, on average at 56 years and 9 months.
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The Federal Statistical Office revealed that the average pension for retired teachers increased by 70 euros in 2022, contributing to the total pension expenditure of 53.4 billion euros for retired civil servants. With the majority of retirees coming from the education sector, there has been a significant increase in retirees over the past two decades, mainly due to many teachers retiring.
Source: www.ntv.de
