AVS/AHV pension calculator 2026 (free)

How is the AVS/AHV pension calculated?

Your AVS/AHV pension depends on two things: your determining average annual income and the number of years you contributed. The average income covers every contributory income over your career, revalued in line with wage growth, plus childcare and care credits.

With a full contribution record of 44 years, from age 21 to the reference age, you get a full pension under scale 44. The statutory formula (art. 34 AHVG) rises with income up to an average of CHF 90,720; above that the pension no longer increases. Up to CHF 15,120, the minimum pension applies.

If years are missing, you get a partial pension (scales 1 to 43), proportional to the years contributed. The calculator above applies that proportion in a simplified way.

Minimum and maximum AVS/AHV pension in 2026

In 2026 a full single pension ranges from CHF 1,260 (minimum) to CHF 2,520 a month (maximum), or CHF 15,120 to CHF 30,240 a year before the 13th pension. The amounts are unchanged from 2025; the next adjustment is due in 2027.

The maximum pension requires both a complete record of 44 contribution years and an average annual income of at least CHF 90,720. The table below shows the pension for a range of average incomes.

Married couples: the 150% cap

When both spouses draw an AVS/AHV pension, the two pensions together are capped at 150% of the maximum pension, CHF 3,780 a month in 2026. If the sum exceeds the cap, both pensions are reduced proportionally.

A couple who would each get the maximum therefore lose CHF 1,260 a month compared with two unmarried people. The cap only applies once both spouses draw their pension, and it does not apply to cohabiting partners.

At retirement, income earned during the years of marriage is also split equally between the spouses (splitting), which brings the two pensions of a couple with unequal incomes closer together.

The 13th AVS/AHV pension from December 2026

Following the popular vote on a 13th AVS pension, old-age pensioners receive one extra payment a year equal to one twelfth of their annual pension, in other words one extra monthly pension. The first payment is made in December 2026.

Over a year, the AVS/AHV pension is therefore worth 13 times the monthly amount: up to CHF 32,760 for a single person and up to CHF 49,140 for a married couple at the cap. It is paid automatically.

Drawing your AVS/AHV pension early or deferring it

The reference age is 65 for men and women. For women of the transition generation it rises in steps: 64 and 3 months (born 1961), 64 and 6 months (1962) and 64 and 9 months (1963), reaching 65 from the 1964 cohort.

You can draw the pension one or two years before the reference age, at the cost of a lifelong cut of 6.8% per year drawn early. Deferring it by one to five years raises it for life by 5.2% to 31.5%.

Contribution gaps: what they cost

Each missing contribution year cuts the pension by about 1/44, roughly 2.3%, for life. Gaps typically come from time abroad, years of study without contributions, or a period without paid work when the minimum contribution was not paid.

Two mechanisms soften the blow: youth years (contributions paid between ages 18 and 20) can fill some later gaps, and missing contributions can be paid back, but only for the last five years. Beyond that, the gap is permanent.

How to get your official AVS/AHV pension forecast

For a binding figure, ask your compensation fund for a free extract of your individual account (IK/CI): it lists your contributory income year by year and shows any gaps. You can also request a pension forecast based on your actual record.

Both requests can be made online through the AHV/IV information centre (ahv-iv.ch).

Frequently asked questions about the AVS/AHV pension

What is the maximum AVS/AHV pension in 2026?

CHF 2,520 a month for a single person with 44 contribution years and an average annual income of at least CHF 90,720. With the 13th pension paid from December 2026, that is CHF 32,760 a year.

What is the maximum AVS/AHV pension for a married couple?

For a married couple the two pensions together are capped at 150% of the maximum pension: CHF 3,780 a month in 2026, or CHF 49,140 a year with the 13th pension. Cohabiting partners are not subject to the cap.

How many years do I need for a full AVS/AHV pension?

44 years, from the year after you turn 20 until the reference age of 65. Each missing year cuts the pension by about 1/44 (2.3%). Youth years between 18 and 20 can fill some gaps.

How much AVS/AHV will I get on an income of CHF 60,000?

With an average annual income of CHF 60,000 and a full 44-year record, the pension is about CHF 2,110 a month, or about CHF 27,430 a year including the 13th pension. The relevant figure is the revalued career average, not your last salary.

When is the 13th AVS/AHV pension paid?

Once a year in December, for the first time in December 2026. It equals one twelfth of the annual pension, so one extra monthly pension, and it is paid automatically.

Can I draw my AVS/AHV pension before 65?

Yes, one or two years before the reference age. The pension is then cut for life by 6.8% per year drawn early, so 13.6% for two years. Women of the transition generation (born 1961 to 1969) get reduced rates.