86% of Germans Back Integrating Civil Servants Into State Pension System, Poll Finds
21.06.2026 - 20:43:23 | boerse-global.de
Support for overhauling Germany’s two-tier retirement system has reached overwhelming levels, with 86% of respondents favouring the inclusion of civil servants in the statutory pension scheme, according to an Infratest dimap survey. The finding underscores public frustration over wide disparities in benefits — a civil servant earns roughly €529,000 more over a lifetime than a comparable salaried employee.
Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) is pushing to bring state employees into the general social insurance system, aiming to reduce the gap between civil servants and private-sector workers. The German Civil Service Federation (DBB) condemns the plan as unconstitutional. Yet the Federal Constitutional Court has previously ruled that such integration is fundamentally compatible with the constitution.
The price of privilege
The cost of maintaining the civil service apparatus reached €242.2 billion in 2025 — about 5.4% of gross domestic product. A large chunk goes toward pensions for 1.4 million retirees, who draw an average of €3,416 per month. For comparison, the statutory pension averages roughly €1,240.
Perhaps more alarming is the lack of provisions for future obligations. Experts put the present value of pension promises at €2.3 trillion. The shortfall in pension reserves alone stands at €38 billion. The Taxpayers’ Federation is therefore calling for a restriction of civil-service appointments to core areas — police, courts and financial administration. Currently, 36.4% of the 5.4 million public-sector workers are classified as civil servants.
Health insurance under fire
The co-payment system for civil servants’ medical costs is also drawing criticism. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) wants to end the free spousal coverage now enjoyed by civil servants. He proposes a contribution of 3.5% of the spouse’s income, with exemptions for parents of young children, caregivers and pensioners.
The controversy stems from the high reimbursement rates in the private insurance system used by civil servants. Doctors often bill more than twice as much for private patients as for those publicly insured. Economists note that shifting civil servants into the statutory health fund would temporarily raise costs but would ease state budgets in the long run. In 2022, private patients injected roughly €41.2 billion into the health system.
Commission delivers 33 recommendations
The government’s Pension Commission presented a catalogue of 33 proposals on Sunday. It does not call for full integration of civil servants but rather an alignment of their pensions with the general pension level. Other suggestions include linking the retirement age to life expectancy and abolishing the “pension at 63” after 45 contribution years — a step ver.di chief Frank Werneke lambasts as unrealistic. He warns that the pension level could drop from 2031 onwards. The union welcomed the proposed inclusion of groups not previously subject to mandatory insurance, such as members of parliament and company executives.
Legal pushback and political hurdles
The DBB insists the government’s plans are legally invalid. Chairman Volker Geyer argues that moving civil servants into the pension system would cost the state around €20 billion annually. He also points to the special loyalty obligation of civil servants and the incomparability of the two systems. Still, the direction of travel seems clear: with 86% public backing and a constitutional green light, the pressure on policymakers to act is stronger than ever.
