Pension calculation in Slovenia comes down to two numbers: the pension base, which is the average of your past earnings revalued to today’s level, and an accrual rate that depends on how many years of pensionable service you have. Anyone retiring in Slovenia in 2026 or 2027 with 40 years of service receives 63.5% of their pension base; with 15 years it is 29.5%. The most accurate estimate for your own situation is available free of charge from ZPIZ, the Slovenian pension institute.
How the Slovenian pension is calculated: the basic formula
The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZPIZ) sets an old-age pension in two steps. First it works out your pension base, then it multiplies it by the accrual rate that matches your pensionable service. The final amount can also be affected by supplements to the rate (for children or for working beyond 40 years, for example) and by legal limits – the minimum and maximum pension base.
Two terms are worth keeping apart. Insurance period (zavarovalna doba) is the time you were actually insured – employed, self-employed or receiving benefits – while pensionable service (pokojninska doba) also includes any purchased periods. ZPIZ assesses eligibility and the accrual rate separately, so it pays to check both in your personal statement.
The pension base: which earnings count
The pension base is the monthly average of the earnings on which contributions were paid. ZPIZ reduces gross amounts by average taxes and contributions, so the base is closer to net pay than to gross pay. Earnings from earlier years are revalued to the level of the year you retire, so a salary from the 1990s is not undervalued.
- Only calendar years in which you were insured for at least six months are taken into account.
- For retirement in 2026 and 2027, your best 24 consecutive years of insurance after 1970 are used.
- Earnings from the year you claim your pension are excluded, and from 2026 so are years in which you were insured only through student work.
- For periods on unemployment benefit, the base you had before becoming unemployed is used.
The base cannot be lower than the minimum pension base, which is €1,289.78 from 1 March 2026, or higher than the maximum of €5,159.12.
Accrual rates and examples in euros
For retirement in 2026 and 2027, 15 years of pensionable service gives 29.5% of the base, and each additional year adds 1.36 percentage points. The table shows the pension for a pension base of €1,600.
| Pensionable service | Accrual rate | Pension on a €1,600 base |
|---|---|---|
| 15 years | 29.50% | €472.00 |
| 20 years | 36.30% | €580.80 |
| 25 years | 43.10% | €689.60 |
| 30 years | 49.90% | €798.40 |
| 35 years | 56.70% | €907.20 |
| 40 years | 63.50% | €1,016.00 |
If you keep working after 40 years, every additional six months of insurance raises the rate by 1.5 percentage points, for up to three years. Caring for a child in its first year can lower the retirement age; if you do not use that benefit, from 2026 it instead raises the accrual rate by 1.6 percentage points per child, with the former three-child cap removed.
Minimum and guaranteed pension
The minimum pension for 15 years of service is €386.93 from March 2026. The guaranteed pension, paid to eligible pensioners whose calculated pension is low, was raised to €785 by the reform in 2026.
What the pension reform changes from 2028
Slovenia’s pension reform has applied since 1 January 2026, but its main changes are phased in between 2028 and 2035. The reference period for the base gets longer while the accrual rate goes up, so the effect on each person depends on how even their earnings were over their working life.
| Year of retirement | Years in the base | Weakest years excluded | Rate for 40 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–2027 | 24 | 0 | 63.50% |
| 2028 | 26 | 0 | 64.75% |
| 2030 | 30 | 1 | 66.25% |
| 2032 | 34 | 3 | 67.75% |
| 2035 | 40 | 5 | 70.00% |
From 2028 the retirement age also rises gradually, by three months a year: from 65 to 67 with at least 15 years of insurance, and from 60 to 62 with 40 years of pensionable service. The transition ends in 2035. Full details are on the Slovenian government’s pension reform page (in Slovenian).
Getting an official pension estimate from ZPIZ
A manual calculation is fine for a rough idea, but to choose a retirement date you need official data. ZPIZ offers two free options:
- The personal pension calculator on the Moj eZPIZ portal, which you log into with a digital certificate or SI-PASS. It shows several possible retirement dates and the expected pension. Since autumn 2026 you can also enter childcare, compulsory military service, insurance before the age of 20 and a planned end of insurance.
- An application for advance written information on the date you meet the conditions and the amount of your pension, filed with ZPIZ if you want a written answer.
Because demand is high, some estimates take a little longer, so do not leave your request to the last months before retiring.
How to improve your pension
- Check your insurance record. A missing period or a wrong base lowers your pension directly, and errors are easier to fix while you still have the documents.
- Think about timing. Each extra year up to 40 years adds 1.36 points to the rate, and after 40 years six months adds 1.5 points.
- Top up the state pension with a second pillar. Supplementary pension insurance and long-term retirement savings soften the drop in income; in Slovenia, premiums for voluntary supplementary insurance also reduce your taxable income up to a legal limit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a pension estimate in Slovenia?
Log into the Moj eZPIZ portal with a digital certificate or SI-PASS and use the personal pension calculator. You can also ask ZPIZ in writing for information on when you will meet the conditions and how much your pension will be.
How many years of earnings are used in the calculation?
For retirement in 2026 and 2027, your best 24 consecutive years are used. From 2028 the period gradually grows, reaching 40 years with the five weakest excluded in 2035.
What is the minimum pension in Slovenia?
From 1 March 2026 the minimum pension for 15 years of pensionable service is €386.93. Eligible pensioners can receive a guaranteed pension of €785.
Does student work affect my pension?
Student work counts towards your insurance period, but from 2026 years in which you were insured only through student work are left out of the pension base, so they cannot pull it down.
