Amount of pension

Old-age pension is possible once you have reached your personal minimum retirement age. In order to receive the pension, your employment relationship must be terminated and you have to apply for old-age pension.

Check your retirement age by using the pension calculator

Old-age pension

With partial old-age pension, you can draw 25% or 50% of the pension you have accrued until the turn of the previous year already before you have reached the pensionable age for old-age pension. If you opt for partial old-age pension before reaching the minimum age for old-age pension, the share of the pension you draw will be reduced by 0.4% for each month that your age is lower than the pensionable age for old-age pension.

Partial old-age pension

Disability pension consists of the pension that has accrued up until the start of the disability and often of the so-called projected pension period. Projected pension period means the time between the start of your disability and the minimum retirement age for your age cohort. The amount of the partial disability pension is half of the full disability pension.

Disability pension

The years-of-service pension consists of the pension you have accrued until you retire. It does not take into account the so-called projected pension period, meaning the time between when you retire and your minimum retirement ageThe years-of-service pension consists of the pension you have accrued until you retire. It does not take into account the so-called projected pension period, meaning the time between when you retire and your minimum retirement age.

Years-of-service pension

Your income during vocational rehabilitation is the rehabilitation allowance. The amount of rehabilitation allowance is 33% more than what your calculated disability pension would be.

Varma supports your vocational rehabilitation

The maximum amount of surviving spouse’s pension is half of the deceased’s pension. The amount of the widowed person’s own earnings-related pension may affect the amount of the surviving spouse’s pension to be granted.

Survivors`pension

The earnings basis for maternity, special maternity, paternity and parental allowance (from 1.8.2022 pregnancy, special pregnancy and parental allowance) is usually the income confirmed in taxation. The earnings basis for a self-employed person is the person’s income under YEL or MyEL.

When calculating pension, 121% of the earnings basis is taken into account.

The earnings-related unemployment allowance paid by an unemployment fund accrues pension until the minimum age of retirement. The earnings basis is the earnings on which the unemployment fund calculates the amount of earnings-related unemployment allowance.

The earnings basis for a self-employed person receiving the earnings-related unemployment allowance is, at most, the amount of the person’s confirmed income under YEL.

When calculating pension, 75% of the basis is taken into account.

Pension does not accrue on the basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy paid by Kela.

The earnings basis is the earnings on which the job alternation compensation is based. When calculating pension, 55% of the basis is taken into account.

The job alternation leave system has been abolished as of August 1, 2024.

Pension accrues on periods of sickness allowance if the allowance is paid directly to the recipient of the allowance.

• Sickness allowance, partial sickness allowance and special care allowance: the earnings basis is usually the income confirmed in taxation. The earnings basis for partial sickness allowance is half of that. For the self-employed, the earnings basis is calculated using the YEL confirmed income that is the basis for calculating sickness allowance. When calculating pension, 62% of the basis is taken into account.
• Daily allowance for a communicable disease: The earnings basis is your salary; for the self-employed, it is their YEL confirmed income. 65% of the basis is taken into account.
• Rehabilitation allowance: The earnings basis is the person’s average earnings in the five calendar years preceding the year when rehabilitation was applied for. 65% of the basis is taken into account. The earnings basis for Kela’s rehabilitation allowance is usually the income confirmed in taxation. 55% of the basis is taken into account.
• Daily allowance under motor liability, accident and military injury insurance: the benefit is based on the employer’s report or on your tax information; for the self-employed, it is based on the company’s accounting data. 65% of the basis for the benefit is taken into account.

For employees, the earnings basis is their previous year’s earnings. 

When calculating pension, 65% of the earnings basis is taken into account.

The Act on the Discontinuance of Adult Education Benefits came into effect on 1 June 2024. New adult education allowance can no longer be received for studies that began on or after 1 August 2024.

Pension accrues on the basis of a monthly income of EUR 876 (2025) from studies leading to a university degree or vocational qualification starting from the age of 18.

• Higher university degree: pension accrues for a maximum of 5 years.
• Polytechnic degree and similar degrees: pension accrues for a maximum of 4 years.
• Lower university degree: pension accrues for a maximum of 3 years.
• Vocational upper secondary qualification: pension accrues for a maximum of 3 years.

If you are studying for two different degrees or qualifications, they are counted together and the total pension accrual period is limited to five years.

If you are studying for a degree or qualification abroad, you accrue pension the same as for a Finnish degree/qualification. The condition is that you have received financial aid for your studies in accordance with the Finnish Act on Financial Aid for Students.

The pension that has accrued on studies will only show in the pension record once the degree/qualification is completed.

Pension accrues on the basis of a monthly income of EUR 876 (2025) from caring for a child under the age of 3 at home. In this case, pension accrues only if there is no pension accrual from employment.