Pillar 1: OASI (AHV/AVS)

• Old age and survivors’ insurance (OASI – AHV/AVS)

• Disability insurance (IV/AI), also referred to as invalidity insurance

• Supplementary benefits (EL/PC)

• Unemployment insurance (ALV)

• Maternity insurance (MUV/AMat)

• Income replacement during military service (EO/APG)

The amount you can draw as a pension is calculated based on your average annual income during the contribution period and the number of contribution years. If you have no gaps in your contributions, you are entitled to the minimum pension at least. For each missing contribution year, the OASI pension is reduced by 2.3%. The relevant average annual income comprises the income you earn plus any parenting and care credits (not available in English).

State pension (OASI) payout

The state pension is not automatically paid out when you reach statutory retirement age. You have to apply to the compensation office responsible for you in order to receive your pension. It is best to do this six months before retirement so that you receive your first pension payment on time.

Minimum state pension (OASI)

In 2024, the minimum single pension is 14,700 francs per year. If you have an average income of 14,700 francs or less per year and there are no missing contributions, you will receive the minimum pension of 1,225 francs per month.

Maximum state pension (OASI)

In 2024, the maximum pension is 29,400 francs per year. If you have paid your OASI contributions with no gaps from the age of 21 until statutory retirement age, you will be entitled to the maximum pension. This means you need to have an average insured income of at least 88,200 francs per year.

State pension for couples: pension ceiling

The pension ceiling refers to the maximum OASI pension a couple can receive. The sum of the two individual pensions of a married couple may not exceed 150% of the maximum pension. Retired married couples therefore receive a maximum of 3,675 francs per month. Cohabiting couples, on the other hand, can receive a combined state pension of up to 4,900 francs per month if both partners are entitled to the maximum pension (information correct as at 2024).

State pension (OASI) for surviving spouses

The surviving spouse receives the same old-age pension as a single person, but with a widow’s or widower’s supplement of 20%. Widows and widowers receive a maximum of 2,450 francs per month, including this supplement.

State pension: what’s covered by (OASI)

The state pension primarily covers old-age and survivors’ pensions as well as helplessness allowances. It also contributes to Spitex services and other non-profit organizations providing care for the elderly.

Supplementary benefits (EL/PC)

If your state pension is not sufficient to cover basic living costs, you may be entitled to supplementary benefits.

Helplessness allowance

You can apply for a helplessness allowance if you are constantly dependent on the help of others for day-to-day activities such as dressing, personal care and eating. It is paid regardless of your financial circumstances and is up to 980 francs per month, depending on the degree of helplessness (information correct as at 2024).

Obligation to contribute to OASI

Employees are required to start making contributions from 1 January of the year in which they turn 18 years of age. Those who are not employed must start making contributions from 1 January of the year in which they turn 21 until they reach statutory retirement age. If an employed spouse pays contributions of at least twice the minimum amount, the contributions of the non-employed spouse are considered paid.

Minimum contribution

The minimum contribution is 514 francs per year.

Persons not in paid employment

If you are not working, you can pay the minimum contribution to prevent a pension shortfall in old age.

Self-employed persons

If you are self-employed in Switzerland, you must pay contributions to old age and survivors' insurance, disability insurance and the income compensation scheme. Please bear in mind that self-employed people are not insured against unemployment, nor are they automatically covered for accidents. They are not covered by any compulsory occupational pension scheme either.

Each canton has a compensation office, which is responsible for matters relating to the state pension. If you have any questions about your personal situation, please contact the compensation office for your canton.

State pension (OASI) account statement

If you're wondering how much you've paid into your state pension, ask the compensation office in your canton for a pension statement so that you can check the contributions. We recommend obtaining a statement every three years. You can also use this statement to find out whether you have missed any contributions. You may only pay missing contributions to cover gaps that occurred within the last five years.

Contribution years and retirement age

At the statutory retirement age of 65, the full contribution period amounts to 44 years  (transitional provisions apply to women until 2028). There are various reasons for missing contribution years: travel, emigration, studying and missing payments from employers.

Making up state pension (OASI) shortfalls

Tip: You can close pension gaps in the AHV within five years. If you miss this deadline, the alternative is to pay voluntarily into a pillar 3a or pillar 3b private pension plan. Check whether you have a pension shortfall and order your pension statement free of charge from the relevant cantonal OASI (AHV/AVS) compensation office.

How the “pay-as-you-go” system works

In Switzerland, the state pension is financed on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. This means that the money that is paid into today is paid out immediately in pensions. Unlike an occupational pension, which involves saving for years to accumulate capital, the OASI (AHV/AVS) fund functions by paying out in pensions roughly what it receives each year. The state pension is financed by contributions from insured persons, employers, the federal government and the cantons.