How to calculate your AVS pension (1st pillar)

What does your AVS pension depend on?

Two factors set the amount: the contribution period (number of years contributed) and the determining average annual income (the average of your career income, revalued). The more complete the period and the higher the average income, the higher the pension, up to a cap.

Because the AVS is solidarity-based, the gap between the minimum and maximum pension is deliberately small: the maximum is only twice the minimum.

The role of contribution years

A full pension assumes uninterrupted contributions from the 1 January after your 20th birthday to the reference age, about 44 years. Each missing year (time abroad, failing to contribute while not in gainful activity) creates a gap that reduces the pension by roughly 1/44.

Checking your contribution years early lets you fill some gaps (within deadlines) before they become permanent.

The determining average income

The average income is not a simple average of your salaries: past income is revalued to reflect wage growth. Added to it are educational credits (years raising children) and care credits, which raise the determining income.

For married couples, the income earned during the marriage is split in half between the spouses (splitting) at retirement.

2025 amounts: minimum and maximum

For 2025, the monthly AVS pension for a single person ranges from about CHF 1,260 (minimum, for a full low-income career) to about CHF 2,520 (maximum). For a married couple, the sum of the two pensions is capped at about CHF 3,780.

These amounts are adjusted periodically. Your actual pension lies between these bounds depending on your average income and contribution years.

How to estimate your pension

The most reliable way is to request an extract of your individual AVS account from your compensation fund, which summarises your contributed income. The AVS also offers an online estimate. For the full picture, RetirePlan folds your AVS pension in with your 2nd and 3rd pillars and projects your total retirement income.

It is that sum of the three pillars, compared with your budget, that truly answers the question: will you be able to retire when you want?

Frequently asked questions

How is the AVS pension calculated?

From two elements: your contribution years and your determining average annual income (revalued income + educational and care credits). A full career (about 44 years) gives a full pension.

How many years must you contribute for a full AVS pension?

About 44 years, uninterrupted from the year after your 20th birthday to the reference age. Each missing year reduces the pension by roughly 1/44.

What is the maximum AVS pension in 2025?

About CHF 2,520 per month for a single person, and a cap of about CHF 3,780 for a married couple. The minimum pension for a full career is about CHF 1,260.

How do I check my contribution years?

By requesting a free individual account extract from your AVS compensation fund. It lists your contributed income and helps spot any gaps.