Basic pension of an employee: what difference between full and maximum rate?
Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
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Full rate pension and maximum rate pension: you don't know exactly what it is? We explain the difference.
As an employee in the private sector, you receive a basic retirement Pension Insurance and a supplementary pension of theAgirc-Arrco.
We are talking about a full rate and a maximum rate for basic retirement.
The Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension is a point pension, i.e. your pension contributions are partially converted into pension points.
And when you retire, your retirement points, accumulated during your career, are converted into a retirement pension.
Your Agirc-Arrco supplementary retirement pension is reduced or increased temporarily or permanently depending on the age at which you apply for it and whether or not you receive a full basic pension.
A full-rate pension is a pension granted without discount.
The basic pension of the Retirement Insurance is granted to you at full rate in particular in 2 cases:
- You're retiring before age 67 have one number of quarters specified pension insurance, all plans combined
- Or you retire at age 67, regardless of your number of quarters of pension insurance.
The number of quarters of pension insurance required to qualify for a rate pension before age 67 depends on your year of birth:
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate |
|---|---|---|
Between 1er January 1958 and December 31, 1960 | 62 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) |
Between 1er January 1961 and August 31, 1961 | 62 years | 168 (42 years old) |
Between 1er September 1961 and December 31, 1961 | 62 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) |
1962 | 62 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) |
Between 1er January 1963 and March 31, 1965 | 62 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) |
Between 1er April 1965 and December 31, 1965 | 63 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) |
1966 | 63 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) |
1967 | 63 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) |
1968 | 63 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) |
From 1er January 1969 | 64 years | 172 (43 years old) |
If you retire before age 67 without having the number of quarters of pension insurance required to qualify for a full-rate pension, the amount of your pension is reduced based on the number of quarters you are missing.
This reduction is called the haircut.
FYI
If you have the necessary number of quarters but are divided into different basic plans, your basic retirement pension from the Retirement Insurance is calculated based on the number of quarters you have in that plan. So are your other pensions, but you don't have a discount.
You can have a full pension and still not have a pension at the maximum possible rate.
The amount of your basic retirement from the Retirement Insurance depends on the average of your gross salaries from your best 25 years.
But it also depends on the number of quarters you have validated with the Retirement Insurance.
Your retirement pension is calculated as follows:
Average Gross Annual Salary x 50% x Your number of quarters validated by Retirement Insurance / The number of quarters of retirement insurance required to have a full rate pension
Example :
If you were born in 1964, to have a full pension, you must:
- Be at least 62 years, 9 months and 170 quarters
- Or wait until you turn 67, regardless of your number of quarters.
If you retire before age 67 if you have 170 quarters of pension insurance, all of which have been validated with the Pension Insurance, your full pension is equal to:
Average Gross Annual Salary x 50% x 170 / 170
You have the maximum possible rate.
If you retire at age 67 with only 162 quarters, your retirement is equal to:
Average Gross Annual Salary x 50% x 162 / 170
Your retirement is a full-rate retirement without discount, but you do not receive the maximum amount possible.
You can simulate the amount of your various retirement pensions on the official website Info Retraite, from your retirement account using the service My Retirement Estimate.
You can run a simulation at different starting ages:
Info Retirement - My retirement account
This service offers 2 ways to get a simulation of the total amount of your retirement:
- Either by accessing your estimate directly from the data known to your pension funds
- Either by checking your situation and completing it, if necessary.
The results indicate, for each starting age, the number of quarters and the possible monthly retirement amount.
The amounts shown are gross, but it is possible to consult the net amounts before tax.
For each proposed retirement age, you can obtain the composition of your pension amount: for example, the amount of your basic pension and the amount of your supplementary pension.
You can simulate different starting ages than those offered.
Once the results are displayed, you can go further in customization by modifying elements of your past situation (for example, periods to be completed) or your future situation (for example, the evolution of your salary or a full-time shift if you are part-time).
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