Switzerland’s first 13th pension payment is expected to average CHF1,580

Around CHF 1,580 will reach the average recipient in December 2026, when Switzerland pays its first 13th monthly old-age pension. The payment will give millions of retirees an additional AHV instalment at a time when rent, health insurance premiums and everyday prices continue to shape household budgets.

The estimate comes from an analysis by the Federal Social Insurance Office, using the previous year’s pension figures. In 2025, around 2.6 million people received an old-age pension, with an average monthly payment of CHF 1,576. That figure provides the basis for the expected December average.

The payment will be made to everyone receiving an old-age pension in December, subject to the scheme’s eligibility rules. It will not be a flat amount paid equally to every retiree. Each recipient’s sum will be linked to the AHV pension they receive during the year.

For many households, the additional payment will arrive before the winter period, when heating, insurance and food costs can place particular pressure on fixed incomes. The national average, however, conceals wide differences linked to contribution records, marital status and residence.

The calculation is straightforward: divide the annual pension paid during the year by twelve. The 13th payment therefore follows the recipient’s existing AHV entitlement rather than introducing a new, uniform pension rate.

A person receiving a regular monthly pension throughout the year will generally receive an additional amount equivalent to one month of that pension. The national estimate of CHF 1,580 is an average across the pension population, not a guaranteed payment for each individual.

People who retired for the first time in 2026 will receive only a pro rata share. Their entitlement reflects the number of months for which they received an old-age pension during the year. The rule prevents a full extra payment being calculated for someone who entered retirement late in the year.

The new payment also has defined limits. No 13th pension is paid on children’s pensions or supplementary pensions. Recipients who rely on those benefits will therefore need to distinguish the additional AHV amount from other parts of their social security income.

The first payment will be included in the December disbursement, giving recipients a practical way to check the sum against their regular pension entitlement.

Residence produces one of the sharpest gaps in the AHV figures. In 2025, the average monthly pension paid in Switzerland was CHF 1,969. For people living abroad, the average was CHF 702.

The difference largely reflects contribution histories. Many pensioners overseas worked in Switzerland for only part of their careers, then built up pension rights in another country. Swiss old-age pensions are linked to the length and completeness of a person’s contribution record, so shorter insured periods generally produce smaller payments.

The overseas group is large in numerical terms. About one third of all pensions were paid abroad in 2025. Those pensions represented only 14% of the total pension amount, a distribution that reflects the lower average payments among recipients outside Switzerland.

The December payment will follow the same underlying entitlement. A pensioner abroad with a smaller Swiss pension will receive a smaller 13th payment than a recipient with a full or near-full contribution record in Switzerland. The system does not create a separate flat-rate bonus for people based on their country of residence.

For cross-border retirees, the practical amount will therefore depend first on their Swiss pension record, then on the monthly amount already being paid.

Marital status can reshape the payment received by each household. When both partners in a married couple draw an AHV pension, their combined pensions are generally capped at 150% of the maximum pension. In 2025, many married couples received between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 in total.

Single pensioners faced a wider distribution. Almost one third received between CHF 2,000 and CHF 2,500, while 24% received less than CHF 500, often because their contribution periods were incomplete. Those figures show why the national average cannot predict an individual payment without information about the recipient’s work and insurance history.

Gender differences also appeared in the 2025 data. Women received an average of CHF 1,630, compared with CHF 1,517 for men. The report linked part of that difference to the widow’s or widower’s supplement, which raises the old-age pension for people who have lost a spouse.

At the upper end, 9% of recipients received CHF 2,520 or more. Their 13th payment will reflect those higher monthly entitlements, while pensioners with incomplete records will receive substantially less.

December recipients should compare the extra payment with their current AHV amount, not with the national average. The expected CHF 1,580 is a statistical benchmark drawn from the 2025 pension population. Individual payments will reflect the pension already being received, the length of the contribution record and, for married couples, the applicable combined ceiling.

People who began drawing an old-age pension during 2026 should expect a partial amount. The calculation will account for the months in which they were entitled to the pension. Recipients of children’s pensions and supplementary pensions should not expect those benefits to generate an additional 13th payment.

The first disbursement will also make the differences between pension groups more visible. A retiree living in Switzerland with a long contribution history may receive close to the Swiss average of CHF 1,969, while a recipient abroad with a shorter insured period may be closer to the overseas average of CHF 702. Neither figure determines an individual entitlement.

For retirees, the most useful check is the December statement and the underlying monthly AHV amount. Questions about missing or incorrect payments should be directed to the responsible compensation office, using the pension decision and payment records as references.