Pension gender gap still considerable

The share of women aged 65 and older receiving supplementary pensions has grown considerably between 2000 and 2012, although it is still significantly lower than among men. On average, women’s supplementary pensions are half of those men receive.

More and more women with supplementary pensions

In 2000, 50 percent of women received a supplementary pension in addition to their old age pension (AOW), versus 60 percent in 2012; 92 percent of men received supplementary pensions in 2012.

The proportion of supplementary pension recipients is relatively low among married women and women living with a partner, although it has doubled over the past 12 years from more than 20 to 40 percent.

In 2012, 82 percent of single women had supplementary pensions. These women often build up a pension during their active career or receive a surviving relatives’ pension.

Over-65s with supplementary pensions

Younger-generation women more often receive supplementary pensions

The growing share of women with supplementary pensions is due to the fact that more women in the younger generations receive a supplementary pension in addition to their old age pension. The share of women participating on the labour market is higher in younger generations. Only 28 percent of 75 to 79-year-old women with a partner received supplementary pensions in 2012 versus 50 percent of women in the 65-69 age category.

Supplementary pensions over-65s with partners by age, 2012

Women’s supplementary pensions significantly lower than men’s

Women’s gross supplementary pensions tend to be significantly lower than men’s: 8,400 versus 17,300 euros in 2012.
The widest gap is found among over-65s living with a partner and the gender gap in this category has grown over the past 12 years. In 2000, the average supplementary pension of women was 38 percent of the average supplementary pension of men, as against 34 percent in 2012.

Average gross annual supplementary pension over-65s,

Wim Bos