A new scientific study by the Chamber of Deputies reveals significant disparities in life expectancy at retirement depending on pension levels.
The analysis, conducted by the Chamber’s scientific unit at the request of The Left party (Déi Lénk), found that individuals with higher pensions in Luxembourg enjoy, on average, five more years of retirement than those receiving the lowest pensions. The study draws on data collected between 2000 and 2024.
Luxembourg has seen a marked increase in life expectancy at retirement over recent decades, placing the country among the European leaders in this regard. However, the study highlights that these gains are not shared equally.
Specifically, people with higher pensions tend to live considerably longer after retirement, precisely six years longer on average, than those with the lowest pensions. For men, this translates into roughly five additional years spent in retirement.
The analysis also underlines notable differences between resident pensioners and cross-border recipients. Frontier workers drawing a Luxembourg pension typically benefit from it for 1.5 years longer than Luxembourgish residents.
Among Portuguese pensioners, the gap is even wider: Portuguese men spend three more years in retirement, while Portuguese women enjoy over seven more years of retirement than their resident counterparts.
The Chamber’s scientific unit stresses that these figures represent statistical correlations rather than proven cause-and-effect relationships. Nevertheless, the data is likely to play a role in upcoming discussions about pension reform in Luxembourg.
The Left party argues that these findings confirm their stance: the justification provided by Minister of Social Security Martine Deprez for extending the contribution period by eight months, which is based on an earlier report from the General Inspectorate of Social Security (IGSS), no longer holds.
Deprez had also claimed that it was not possible to link income or the sector of last employment to mortality risk.
For The Left, however, extending the contribution period is "deeply unfair" as people in more demanding professions receive lower pensions and tend to die earlier.
To address the challenges of an ageing population, The Left maintains that pension rights should not be cut. Instead, the party calls for increased revenues, particularly from those who benefit the most from the system.
According to the party's MP Marc Baum, it would only be fair for high earners, who enjoy longer retirements, to contribute proportionally more.
In addition, The Left advocates for raising the minimum pension above the poverty risk threshold.
