The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, announced this Tuesday, during the press conference after the Council of Ministers, the approval of the regulatory development that will allow pensions to be updated in 2026 in accordance with inflation, with a overall increase of 2.7% and higher increases for minimum and non-contributory benefits. It is, as he recalled, the application of a measure already endorsed by Congress.
In his speech, Saiz wanted to highlight that this is a measure that protects pensioners in an uncertain international context. “Given the uncertainty generated by the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, it helps us to value that no matter what happens, our pensioners will maintain their purchasing power,” he stated, in reference to the tensions arising from the conflict in the Middle East.
The minister recalled that “it was this same measure that also allowed them in 2023 to not be harmed by an inflationary crisis after the invasion of Ukraine.” So, it prevented pensioners from losing purchasing power. Saiz has insisted that the Government adopts measures “that prepare us more and better for any scenario”, in a situation marked by economic volatility and doubts about the evolution of prices.
The revaluation of pensions with the CPI has been consolidated as one of the axes of the Government’s social policy. However, the debate on its sustainability remains open, especially due to the impact it may have on public accounts in the coming years. For now, the Executive insists that recent reforms allow the system to be sustained without cuts.
Pensions rise between 2.7% and 11.4% depending on the type of benefit
With retroactive effects from January 1, contributory and passive class pensions increase this year by 2.7%, while minimum pensions register an increase of more than 7%. The increase is greater in cases of greater vulnerability in which pensions with a dependent spouse and those of widowhood with family expenses, as well as non-contributory expenses and the Minimum Living Income (IMV), are revalued by 11.4%.
The 2.7% update benefits nearly 9.4 million people who receive more than 10.4 million contributory pensions, in addition to some 734,000 recipients of the State Passive Classes Regime. According to estimates by the Ministry of Inclusion, this increase translates into around 570 additional euros per year for an average retirement pension and around 500 euros more annually for the system’s average pension.
Regarding the amounts, the minimum pensions They continue to improve since the retirement pension for those over 65 years of age in single-person households reaches 13,106.80 euros per year, while in cases with a dependent spouse it amounts to 17,592.40 euros. The decree also sets a maximum pension of 3,359.60 euros per month and raises the maximum contribution base to 5,101.2 euros per month.