Most Germans oppose the retirement age being set at 70 years old.
In the heart of Europe, Germany is grappling with a contentious issue: the proposal to increase the legal retirement age to 70. As reported by RTL/ntv on August 5, 2025, the public and political opinion remains largely skeptical towards this proposal.
The majority of federal citizens, opposition parties, and supporters of various political parties, including the SPD, the Greens, and the Left, express strong opposition to the idea. According to the report, only 18% of the population find it appropriate to increase the retirement age to 70. Among the supporters of the AfD, the opposition is most pronounced, with 95% expressing disapproval.
The coalition partner SPD is strongly against the proposal, with 87% opposition from its supporters. The Greens and the Left also reject the idea, with 74% and 90% opposition, respectively. Even the supporters of Minister of Economy Katharina Reiche's party, although not as strongly as the opposition parties, still show significant resistance, with 68% of her party's supporters not finding the proposal appropriate.
Experts and politicians acknowledge that focusing solely on raising the retirement age is insufficient and advocate for a mixed approach. This approach involves not only retirement-age extension but also other social and fiscal measures to sustain the pension system, such as improving childcare to boost workforce participation, encouraging migration to increase labor supply, and reforming pension contributions, including extending the required contribution period or reducing pension growth rates.
The current legal retirement age is scheduled to rise gradually from 65 to 67 by 2031. However, further increases to 70 are not yet widely accepted nor formally scheduled, reflecting the political and social challenges associated with the proposal.
The broader European demographic context shows an aging population and growing gerontocracy, which puts pressure on pension and retirement systems but also underscores the political sensitivity of raising retirement ages too sharply.
No relevant information was found about international retirement migration impacting this debate specifically in Germany.
In conclusion, public opinion in Germany is largely resistant to raising the retirement age beyond 67, especially among workers with physically demanding jobs who doubt their ability to work until 70. Politically, a cautious approach is favored, with a focus on a mixed approach involving not only retirement-age extension but also other social and fiscal measures to sustain the pension system. The gradual increase to age 67 by 2031 is already planned; further increases to 70 are not widely accepted nor formally scheduled, reflecting the political and social challenges associated with the proposal.
Other political parties, such as the SPD, Greens, and Left, have strong opposition to the policy-and-legislation proposal to increase the retirement age to 70, with only 18% of the general-news public finding it appropriate. Instead, experts and politicians suggest a mixed approach that includes improving childcare, encouraging migration, and reforming pension contributions.
