Retirement pensions: what is the minimum contributory amount in 2026?

The minimum contribution is applicable to retirement pensions covered by the Pension Insurance Scheme (private sector employees, public service contract staff, craftsmen, traders, etc.) and the Agricultural social mutual fund. It is granted automatically, without any procedure to be carried out, if you meet the conditions to benefit from it.

Its level was upgraded by 1.18% on 1^er January 2026. There are 3 scenarios:

1. When you retire before age 67 with the required number of quarters to be entitled to a full pension and that all these quarters are contributed, the amount of your pension cannot be less than €10,847.22 gross per year, or €903.93 gross per month (compared to €10,723.88 gross per year and €893.66 gross per month in 2025).
2. When you retire before age 67 with the required number of quarters to be entitled to a full pension, but all of those quarters are not paid in :
   
   • if you have less than 120 contributory quarters, the amount of your pension may not be less than €9,075.50 gross per year, or €756.29 gross per month (compared to €8 972.30 gross per year and €747.69 gross per month in 2025);
   
   
   • if you have more than 120 quarters contributed, the amount of €756.29 gross per month is increased based on your number of quarters contributed compared to your total number of quarters.
     For example, if you were born in 1964 and retire before age 67 with 135 quarters of contributions (while 170 quarters are required to qualify for a full pension), the amount of your pension cannot be less than € 756.29 + [(€ 903.93 - € 756.29) x 135 / 170] = € 873.53 gross per month.
3. When you retire at age 67 without having the required number of quarters to qualify for a full pension on retirement at the statutory age, the amount of €756.29 gross per month is reduced according to your number of quarters compared to the number of quarters required to qualify for a full pension on retirement at the statutory age.

The allocation of the minimum contributory pension cannot bring the total of your retirement pensions (basic and supplementary, all schemes combined, French and foreigners) beyond a monthly maximum of personal pensions. This ceiling is revised under the same conditions as Smic. Smic's latest rise at 1^er january 2026 has brought the ceiling on personal pensions to €1,410.89 gross per month compared to €1,394.86 previously. If necessary, the amount paid to you as part of the minimum contribution is reduced so that this ceiling is not exceeded.

The evolution of the minimum contribution to 1^er january 2026 only applies to people who liquidate their pension rights this year. Persons to whom the minimum contribution has been allocated in previous years shall be entitled to the 0.9% increase in basic retirement pensions as of 1 January 2026.