Drawing your AVS pension early or deferring it: reduction, supplement and break-even
By Hippolyte Surer, founder of RetirePlan · Updated October 2026
Since the AVS 21 reform you can start your AVS/AHV pension flexibly between 63 and 70. Drawing early cuts the pension by 6.8% per year for life; deferring raises it by up to 31.5%. This guide gives the exact rates, the amounts in francs, the age from which early withdrawal or deferral pays off, the rules for couples and how to bridge an early retirement before 63.
Calculate your AVS/AHV pension →Free calculator: monthly pension, 13th pension, couple cap and early withdrawal, in seconds.100% free · 2 minutes · no credit card
Flexible retirement since AVS 21
The reference age is 65; for women it is being raised in steps until 2028. Since 2024, however, you can choose when your pension starts anywhere between 63 and 70, to the month. Another new feature is the partial pension: you can draw early or defer between 20% and 80% of the pension and take the rest later.
Women in the transitional generation (born 1961 to 1969) can draw early from 62 and benefit from lower reduction rates that depend on their income; for lower incomes the reduction is much smaller. The exact rates are in information sheet 3.04 on flexible retirement.
You apply for early withdrawal at your compensation office, ideally three to four months before the desired start. It cannot be backdated.
Early withdrawal: 6.8% less per year, for life
Each year of early withdrawal reduces the pension by 6.8%, pro rata for a few months. The reduction applies for as long as the pension is paid, including after 65, and the 13th AVS pension is also calculated on the reduced pension.
A second point that is often forgotten: if you draw early and no longer work, you remain liable to contribute until 65, as a non-employed person, based on your wealth and pension income.
| Pension starts at | Reduction | Monthly pension | Annual pension incl. 13th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 (reference age) | – | CHF 2,520 | CHF 32,760 |
| 64 (1 year early) | −6.8% | ≈ CHF 2,349 | ≈ CHF 30,530 |
| 63 (2 years early) | −13.6% | ≈ CHF 2,177 | ≈ CHF 28,300 |
Reduction rates under the AVS Act for people outside the transitional generation. The same percentages apply to lower pensions.
Deferral: a supplement of 5.2% to 31.5%
Deferring the pension raises it for life. Deferral lasts at least one year and at most five; after that you can call up the pension at any time, to the month. You must declare the deferral within one year of reaching the reference age at the latest, otherwise the pension is paid retroactively.
During deferral you receive no pension and no 13th pension. If you keep working, you pay contributions on your salary, with an allowance of CHF 1,400 a month for people past the reference age.
| Pension starts at | Supplement | Monthly pension | Annual pension incl. 13th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66 (1 year) | +5.2% | ≈ CHF 2,651 | ≈ CHF 34,460 |
| 67 (2 years) | +10.8% | ≈ CHF 2,792 | ≈ CHF 36,300 |
| 68 (3 years) | +17.1% | ≈ CHF 2,951 | ≈ CHF 38,360 |
| 69 (4 years) | +24.0% | ≈ CHF 3,125 | ≈ CHF 40,620 |
| 70 (5 years) | +31.5% | ≈ CHF 3,314 | ≈ CHF 43,080 |
For deferral periods between two full years, the supplement is set pro rata.
Break-even: when early withdrawal or deferral pays off
The break-even age is when the total pensions received under two options are equal. Drawing two years early gives you two extra years of payments but less every month: from about 77 years and 9 months, the regular start at 65 is ahead. Deferral works the other way round: if you defer until 70, you only catch up just before 86.
For comparison, life expectancy at 65 in Switzerland is about 20 years for men and 22 to 23 years for women. Purely on the numbers, deferral therefore tends to favour healthy people with a long life expectancy, and early withdrawal those who need the money early or have a shorter life expectancy.
| Pension starts at | Total by 80 | Total by 85 | Total by 90 | Break-even vs 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 (−13.6%) | ≈ CHF 481,000 | ≈ CHF 623,000 | ≈ CHF 764,000 | ≈ 77.7 years |
| 64 (−6.8%) | ≈ CHF 489,000 | ≈ CHF 641,000 | ≈ CHF 794,000 | ≈ 78.7 years |
| 65 (reference age) | CHF 491,400 | CHF 655,200 | CHF 819,000 | – |
| 67 (+10.8%) | ≈ CHF 472,000 | ≈ CHF 653,000 | ≈ CHF 835,000 | ≈ 85.5 years |
| 70 (+31.5%) | ≈ CHF 431,000 | ≈ CHF 646,000 | ≈ CHF 862,000 | ≈ 85.9 years |
Our own calculation: total gross pensions, excluding tax, interest and future indexation (which barely moves the break-even, as it affects all options proportionally). The break-even age is the same whatever the pension amount.
Partial early withdrawal: limiting the reduction
The partial pension lets you combine options. Example: you draw half the pension early at 63 and the other half from 65. The 13.6% reduction then only hits the half drawn early: with a maximum pension you receive about CHF 1,089 from 63, then about CHF 2,349 a month in total from 65, instead of CHF 2,177 with a full early withdrawal.
This is useful if you reduce your working hours or stop at 63 but can bridge the rest with your pension fund or savings.
Couples, survivors and the pension cap
For married couples, the two pensions together may not exceed 150% of the maximum pension, i.e. CHF 3,780 a month. Reductions and supplements are calculated for each spouse, but the cap applies to the total. If a couple is above the cap, part of the deferral supplement can be lost: ask your compensation office for a calculation.
Think about survivors too: a reduction for early withdrawal in principle carries over to survivor's pensions derived from that pension. Someone entitled to both a widow's or widower's pension and their own old-age pension also only receives the higher of the two. Look at these points together as a couple.
Retiring before 63: bridging the gap without AVS
If you stop working at 60 or 62, you do not yet get an AVS pension: before 63 (62 for women in the transitional generation) no early withdrawal is possible. The years until the AVS starts have to be funded from your pension fund, for example a bridging pension, from pillar 3a or from savings, plus AVS contributions as a non-employed person.
It is often cheaper to bridge the gap with capital and take the unreduced AVS pension at 65 than to cut the pension for life. Whether that holds for you depends on your wealth, taxes and life expectancy.
Run early withdrawal or deferral through your plan
The free AVS pension calculator shows in seconds how much pension you keep with early withdrawal or deferral. In the RetirePlan planner you then compare complete scenarios: AVS at 63, 65 or 67, together with your pension fund, pillar 3a, taxes and budget, free of charge and with as many variants as you like.
If you would like a second opinion on the right start age, an optional expert analysis is available. The tool itself stays completely free.
Frequently asked questions
- From what age can I draw my AVS pension early?
From 63, to the month, in full or in part (20% to 80%). Women in the transitional generation (born 1961 to 1969) can draw early from 62. Before that age no payment is possible, even if you retire early.
- How big is the reduction for early withdrawal?
6.8% per year drawn early, for life: 13.6% for two years. On a maximum pension of CHF 2,520 that is about CHF 171 or 343 less per month. Women in the transitional generation get lower, income-dependent rates.
- How big is the supplement for deferring the AVS pension?
5.2% after one year, 10.8% after two, 17.1% after three, 24.0% after four and 31.5% after five years. Deferred until 70, the maximum pension thus rises to about CHF 3,314 a month.
- Is drawing the AVS pension early worth it?
Purely on the numbers, only if you live a shorter time: drawing two years early stays ahead until about 77 years and 9 months, after which the regular start wins. Your need for money before 65, other resources, taxes and your spouse's situation matter too.
- Do I keep paying AVS contributions after drawing early?
Yes, until the reference age. If you no longer work, you contribute as a non-employed person, based on your wealth plus 20 times your pension income, at least CHF 530 a year.
- Can I retire at 60 and draw the AVS pension?
No. You can stop working at 60, but draw the AVS pension at 63 at the earliest (62 for women in the transitional generation). The years in between are funded from your pension fund, for example a bridging pension, from pillar 3a or from savings.
Go further
Sources : Federal Act on Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance (AHVG/LAVS, art. 39 and 40) and ordinance, AVS 21 reform, AVS/IV Information Centre (ahv-iv.ch, information sheet 3.04 on flexible retirement and 3.01 on old-age pensions), Federal Social Insurance Office (bsv.admin.ch), Federal Statistical Office (life expectancy), ch.ch. As of October 2026.
100% free · 2 minutes · no credit card