Social Security releases 25‑year pension estimate

Spain’s Social Security has published a fresh approximation for workers who retire in 2026 after 25 years of contributions, setting out how much of their regulatory base they can expect to receive as a contributory retirement pension. The estimate, highlighted by Andalucía Informa, puts the pension at about 73.78% of the base reguladora if the worker meets the ordinary retirement age and the other general conditions. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) That figure matters because Spain’s retirement formula does not award 100% of the pension amount simply for reaching retirement age. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) The official rule is that the pension amount is determined by applying a percentage to the regulatory base according to years contributed, and that percentage rises gradually beyond the first 15 years. (prestaciones.seg-social.es) ### How does Spain get from 25 years worked to 73.78%? The 25-year result comes from the statutory accrual formula. Andalucía Informa said that, in 2026, the calculation starts at 50% of the regulatory base for the first 15 years of contributions, then adds 0.21% for each of the next 49 months and 0.19% for the months after that. On that basis, 25 years of contributions produces roughly 73.78% of the regulatory base. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) The Social Security website states the same principle in broader terms: the amount of the pension is obtained by applying the percentage corresponding to the worker’s years of contributions to the regulatory base. That means contribution history, not age alone, drives the final replacement rate. (seg-social.es) ### What is the “regulatory base” in the 2026 calculation? The regulatory base is the reference amount used to calculate the pension. Andalucía Informa reported that, for 2026, Social Security applies whichever is more favorable between the traditional system — based on the 300 contribution bases immediately before retirement divided by 350 — and a newer progressive model. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) Under the same report, the newer 2026 model takes the 302 highest contribution bases within the previous 304 months and divides them by 352.33. That means two workers with the same 25 years of contributions can still receive different pensions if their contribution bases over those years were different. (seg-social.es) ### Does 25 years of contributions qualify someone for a full pension? Twenty-five years of contributions qualifies a worker for a contributory retirement pension, but not for 100% of the regulatory base. The official minimum contribution period for an ordinary contributory retirement pension is 15 years, while the full percentage requires a longer contribution history under the phased-in rules. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) A 2025 Andalucía Informa explainer used the same framework and put the 25-year percentage at 73.76% for that year, showing that the 2026 estimate is a continuation of the same contribution-based logic with a slight annual adjustment. (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es) ### Where can workers check their own number? The Social Security pension simulator remains the official tool for workers who want a personalized estimate. The simulator allows users to calculate an approximate future retirement pension and adjust for ordinary, early or delayed retirement scenarios, according to the official service page. (seg-social.es) The pensions portal also links directly to retirement procedures and pension information. For workers retiring in 2026, the next step is to compare the general 25-year estimate with their own contribution record and retirement date through the Seguridad Social simulator and pension service pages. (prestaciones.seg-social.es) (andaluciainforma.eldiario.es)