French Pension Calculator (Régime Général)

How the French pension system works (in simple terms)

The French state pension system is built around a pay-as-you-go model. Today’s workers finance today’s retirees. For most employees in the private sector, the main scheme is the régime général, managed by L’Assurance Retraite, plus mandatory complementary schemes such as Agirc-Arrco.

This calculator focuses on the basic state pension of the régime général and uses a simplified version of the official formulas so you can quickly understand the impact of:

• your year of birth,
• your number of validated quarters (trimestres),
• your average salary (best 25 years, capped),
• and your retirement age.

Key concepts: legal age, full-rate age and quarters

Legal minimum retirement age

The legal minimum retirement age is the earliest age at which you can normally claim a French state pension. After the 2023 reform, this age is gradually increasing from 62 to 64, depending on your year of birth.

Full-rate pension (taux plein)

You obtain a full-rate pension when:

• you have validated the required number of quarters for your generation, or
• you reach the automatic full-rate age (around 67), even if you do not have all the required quarters.

For the régime général, the maximum basic pension rate is usually 50% of your reference salary.

Quarters (trimestres) of contributions

Each year, you can validate up to 4 quarters depending on your earnings. Periods of unemployment, sickness, maternity, military service and child-rearing can also give you quarters under certain conditions.

Formula used in this French pension calculator

For the basic state pension, a simplified version of the official formula is:

Where:

• Reference salary ≈ average of your best 25 years of salary, capped at the Social Security ceiling (we use your input as an approximation).
• Pension rate = maximum rate (usually 50%) minus any decote (penalty) or plus any surcote (bonus).
• Validated quarters = total French quarters you have acquired.
• Required quarters = number of quarters needed for a full-rate pension for your generation.

Decote (penalty) and surcote (bonus)

If you retire before having all your quarters and before the automatic full-rate age, a decote (penalty) is applied to the pension rate. A common value is:

• Decote ≈ 1.25% per missing quarter, up to a maximum number of quarters.

If you continue to work after reaching full rate, you may receive a surcote (bonus) per additional quarter. For simplicity, this calculator uses a symmetrical 1.25% per extra quarter when you are already at full rate age and have all required quarters.

Assumptions and limitations

This tool is designed for quick planning, not for legal or financial advice. To keep it simple and fast, we make several assumptions:

• We focus on the basic régime général only, not on complementary pensions (Agirc-Arrco, special regimes, civil servants, etc.).
• We use typical values for required quarters and legal ages based on your year of birth, not the full official tables.
• We do not model special early retirement schemes (long careers, disability, arduous work, etc.).
• We ignore minimum pension guarantees, ceilings, and family-related increases.
• We assume your average salary is already capped at the Social Security ceiling if needed.

For an official calculation, you should always consult:

• L’Assurance Retraite (French state pension body)
• or your complementary pension fund (e.g. Agirc-Arrco).

Step-by-step: how to use the French pension calculator

1. Enter your year of birth. This lets the tool estimate your legal retirement age and required quarters if you do not enter them manually.
2. Choose your planned retirement age. Try different ages (62, 64, 67…) to see the impact on your pension.
3. Fill in your total validated quarters. You can find this on your official pension statement (relevé de carrière).
4. Estimate your average annual salary. Use the average of your best 25 years of gross salary in France.
5. Optionally override the required quarters and full-rate age if you know the exact official values for your case.
6. Click “Calculate French pension” to see your estimated annual and monthly basic pension.

Example scenarios

Example 1 – Standard career, full rate at 64

• Born in 1965
• Planned retirement age: 64
• Validated quarters: 172 (full rate for that generation)
• Average salary: €32,000

Result (approximate):

• Pension rate: 50% (no penalty)
• Annual basic pension ≈ 32,000 × 50% × (172 / 172) = €16,000
• Monthly basic pension ≈ €1,333

Example 2 – Missing quarters and early retirement

• Born in 1968
• Planned retirement age: 63
• Validated quarters: 150 (required 172)
• Average salary: €28,000

Result (approximate):

• Missing quarters: 22 → decote ≈ 22 × 1.25% = 27.5 percentage points
• Pension rate: 50% − 27.5% = 22.5%
• Proration factor: 150 / 172 ≈ 0.872
• Annual basic pension ≈ 28,000 × 22.5% × 0.872 ≈ €5,500

French pension for expats and international careers

If you have worked in several countries, your French pension may be coordinated with:

• other EU/EEA or Swiss pension systems,
• countries that have a bilateral social security agreement with France,
• or completely separate foreign systems (e.g. US Social Security).

In such cases, foreign periods may help you reach the required quarters for a full-rate pension, but each country usually pays a prorated pension based on the time you contributed there. This calculator does not yet integrate foreign schemes, but you can:

• enter only your French quarters and salary to estimate the French part, and
• add estimates from other countries separately.

Frequently asked questions about French pensions

Is this French pension calculator official?

No. This is an independent educational tool. It uses simplified formulas inspired by the official rules but does not replace calculations from L’Assurance Retraite or your complementary pension fund.

Does this include Agirc-Arrco and other complementary pensions?

No. This calculator focuses on the basic state pension of the régime général. Complementary pensions are based on points and require separate calculations.

Can I use this if I have lived or worked abroad?

Yes, but the result will only cover the French basic pension. International agreements may change your required quarters and entitlements, so always check with the official bodies if you have a multi-country career.

What if I do not know my exact number of quarters?

You can use an estimate for planning, but for serious decisions you should download your career statement (relevé de carrière) from the official French pension website and use the exact number of validated quarters.

Where can I get an official French pension estimate?

You can create an account on the official portal info-retraite.fr or on lassuranceretraite.fr to access your personal pension projections and simulate different retirement ages.