Pension Estimator 2026: Portugal
How much will your pension be? In Portugal the old-age pension is, in essence, your career-average salary (the reference remuneration) multiplied by the global formation rate, which grows with your years of contributions. Enter your career-average monthly salary and your years of contributory career for an educational estimate of the pension.
Enter your career-average monthly gross salary (the reference remuneration) and your years of contributions. You need at least 15 years to be entitled to a pension.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reference remuneration | €1,500 |
| Global formation rate | 90.2% |
| Monthly pension | €1,353 |
| Annual pension (14 payments) | €18,946 |
Estimate by the official formula (reference remuneration × global formation rate) with the 2026 IAS (€537.13). It does not revalue older salaries by coefficients, apply the minimum old-age pension (which can raise a low pension) or any early-retirement cut.
Educational estimate, not advice. The formula (reference remuneration × global formation rate), the rate brackets (2% to 2.3%), the 92% maximum and the 15-year guarantee period are official; the IAS is the 2026 value. Always confirm with Social Security.
The pension formula
Under the current rule (Decreto-Lei n.º 187/2007), the monthly old-age pension is the reference remuneration (RR) multiplied by the global formation rate (TGF): pension = RR × TGF. The reference remuneration is, in practice, your career-average monthly salary (on a 14-month basis); the formation rate rises with your years of contributions.
The reference remuneration
The reference remuneration is the total of your whole-career earnings divided by 14 × n (n = calendar years with a record, capped at 40). Because the total already amounts to about 14 salaries a year, dividing by 14 × n returns your average monthly salary: that is the figure you enter. Social Security also revalues older salaries by coefficients; here we use today’s value, so the result is an estimate.
The global formation rate
Up to 20 years of career the rate is 2% per year (with a global minimum of 30%). From 21 years, the annual rate varies between 2% and 2.3%, applied by brackets of the reference remuneration (in multiples of the IAS, €537.13 in 2026): 2.3% up to 1.1×IAS, 2.25% up to 2×IAS, 2.2% up to 4×IAS, 2.1% up to 8×IAS and 2% above. The maximum global rate is 92% (40 years × 2.3%).
You need the guarantee period
To be entitled to the old-age pension under this regime you generally need at least 15 calendar years with a record of earnings (the guarantee period). With less than that, there is no pension by this route. A separate social old-age pension, calculated differently, may apply.
Worked example
Take a career-average salary of €1,500 a month and 40 years of contributions. The reference remuneration is €1,500. By the brackets: €590.84 at 2.3%, plus €483.42 at 2.25%, plus €425.74 at 2.2%, gives about €33.83 per year of career; over 40 years the global rate reaches roughly 90%. The estimated monthly pension is about €1,353 (≈ €18,946 a year, over 14 payments). It is an estimate: it excludes the minimum pension, the revaluation of older salaries and any early-retirement cut.
Frequently asked questions
How is the retirement pension calculated in Portugal?
What is the reference remuneration?
How many years of contributions do I need for a pension?
Is the pension paid in 12 or 14 months?
Are the figures exact?
Related calculators & reading
Sources
- Decreto-Lei n.º 187/2007, de 10 de maio: cálculo da pensão de velhice (arts. 29.º e 31.º) — Diário da República
- Guia Prático: Pensão de Velhice — Instituto da Segurança Social
- Indexante dos Apoios Sociais (IAS) em 2026: 537,13 € — Instituto da Segurança Social
Author: Thorben Rasmus Idel · Reviewed by: Nahar Geva · Last reviewed: 2026-06-03