Amount, payment and taxation of the national pension
In 2024, the basic amount of national pension for persons living alone is EUR 775.70 per month.
If you are married or cohabiting or live in a registered partnership, the amount is EUR 692.54 per month.
Early old-age pensions will always be smaller. The early old-age pension is reduced by 0.4% for each month that you take the pension early.
The national pension is payable at its full amount only if you receive no earnings-related pensions or if their combined amount before taxes is EUR 65.62 per month or less. If your earnings-related pensions exceed this amount, your national pension is reduced or not payable at all.
| Marital status | Full amount of the national pension | Income limit to qualify for a full pension | Income limit to receive no national pension at all |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living alone | 775.70 | 65.62 | 1 601.21 |
| Living with another person* | 692.54 | 65.62 | 1 434.88 |
*Marriage, cohabitation or registered partnership
- There is no online application for calculating the amount of the national pension. You can calculate your pension or ask Kela for an estimate by calling Kela's customer service number
- You may also be entitled to a child increase, if you have children under the age of 16 years.
- National pensions are taxable income (for details see the following table on pension income and taxation).
Time of residence abroad may reduce the national pension, if you have lived in Finland less than 80 % of the time between the age of 16 years and the start of the pension. Contact Kela's Centre for International Affairs to find out how any period you may have lived abroad affects your pension.
If the amount of the national pension is less than EUR 7.90 per month, it is not paid out. Kela sends the data on pensions paid out to the national incomes register within five days of the date of payment.
Effect of other pensions and income on the amount of the national pension
You can receive a national pension if the other pensions and benefits you qualify for do not exceed the income limit for a national pension. Nearly all earnings-related pensions and continuing benefits provided on a statutory basis affect the national pension you may be entitled to. They are considered at gross rate, i.e. before the deduction of taxes. Any pensions or benefits you receive from abroad will usually also reduce the amount of national pension due to you. However, other income or assets you may have does not affect the national pension that is paid as an old-age pension. Your spouse's/partner's income does also not affect the pension. However, your own income affects the disability pension.
Pension income that reduces the national pension includes
- pensions (including survivors’ pensions) based on a private-sector or public-sector employment relationship, self-employment or elected office, or on an agreement concerning the provision of foster family care or informal care
- pensions (including survivors’ pensions) or rehabilitation allowance, life annuities and assistance pensions payable under a statutory workers compensation scheme
- disability pensions, survivors' pensions and compensations for loss of earnings (if payable for longer than 12 months) under motor insurance arrangements
- assistance pensions under the Military Injuries Act
- the basic amount of the farm closure compensation.
The amount of the national pension is not, however, reduced by income such as
- earnings-related pension accrued on the basis of studies or child care
- earnings-related pension accrued after the age of 63 years in the period 1.1.2005–31.12.2016
- one-off increases in disability pensions.
If you have taken out your earnings-related pension early (before the normal age of retirement), the earnings-related pension will reduce the national pension due to you at the full amount it would have been paid at had it been granted to you at the normal age of retirement. This means that, for purposes of calculating the national pension due to you, your earnings-related pension is taken into account at an amount which is higher than the amount you are actually paid.
If you apply for a national pension and want it to be paid before the payment of your earnings-related pension is set to begin, your future earnings-related pension will reduce your national pension even though you do not receive it yet. However, the reduction does not apply to recipients of an disability pension or rehabilitation subsidy.
Persons in institutional care are entitled to disposable income
Kela pays persons in institutional care national pensions and, for instance, front-veteran's supplements and housing allowances for pensioners. The municipality can charge a fee for the institutional care based on the person's income. However, 15 % of the income or a certain minimum sum per month has to be left for the person's own use.
The national pension index determines the amount of the national pension
Kela annually adjusts the national pensions in line with the index. The pension can be either increased or reduced. The customer need not do anything because of the index increase. Kela will change the amount automatically.