Basque pensioners still receive the largest payments in Spain. The average contributory pension in Euskadi stands at 1,686 euros, 311 euros above the national average. But new data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration shows growth has slowed: pensions in the Basque Country rose by just 4.13% over the past year, with only Asturias recording a lower rate.
Average pensions rose by 5.75% in Extremadura and 5.26% in Castilla-La Mancha. In Euskadi, increases have barely kept pace with inflation. The national average pension rose by 4.66%, leaving the Basque Country behind most of Spain despite its higher starting point. Asturias recorded a smaller increase still, at 3.77%.
Democrata reported that in September 2026, Spain's Social Security allocated a record 14.498 billion euros for monthly contributory pension payments, up 6.3% year on year.
Retirement pensions in the Basque Country stand out. The average monthly payment is now 1,910 euros, 334 euros more than the Spanish average of 1,576 euros. Nearly 400,000 Basques receive these benefits. The number of recipients grew by almost 2% in one year, adding 7,750 people, a rise linked to the region’s aging population.
But annual growth in Basque retirement pensions is among the weakest in Spain. Over the past year, the average retirement pension in Euskadi rose by just 73 euros. That matches the increase in Castilla-La Mancha but falls short of the 4.47% national average. Only Asturias and Madrid recorded lower or similar growth, at 3.49% and 3.92%. Pension costs in the Basque Country are nearing a symbolic mark: total monthly spending reached 999.22 million euros for 592,800 benefits.
Other types of pensions also show the Basque lead in payment amounts. Widowhood pensions in Euskadi go to more than 132,000 people and average 1,171 euros a month. More than 43,000 people receive permanent disability pensions, averaging 1,591 euros. Fedea notes that these two types can pay out up to three times more than what was paid in. Orphan and family support pensions are smaller, averaging 662 and 1,042 euros a month for nearly 15,800 and 2,300 recipients, respectively.
Fedea says the pension reforms of 2021 and 2023 have improved the sustainability of Spain's pension system by increasing revenues and lowering the replacement rate, though debate continues over how costs are distributed between generations. Analysts warn that Spain faces one of Europe's highest pension expenditure burdens, with the potential to grow faster than elsewhere. Projections for 2050 indicate a impressive rise in the share of pensions in GDP.
Across Spain, the number of pensioners continues to climb. This month, Social Security paid more than 10.5 million pensions to 9.5 million people. In the Basque Country, 528,718 people are on the rolls, as some receive more than one benefit. National pension spending is now close to 15.5 billion euros a month. New retirement pensions are also on the rise. Up to August, there were 247,161 new registrations; 11.6% were delayed retirements, 6.8 points higher than in 2019. This reflects new incentives to postpone retirement and recent legal changes concerning early retirement.
In Euskadi, July figures show 3,233 new pension registrations, including 2,022 for retirement. There were 2,134 pension terminations, of which 1,329 were retirements. That means a net increase of more than 1,000 benefits, nearly 800 of them retirements. This trend is pushing pension costs higher, particularly because new retirees receive more than those leaving the system. The average new retirement pension is 1,964 euros, 265 euros above the average for pensions that ended. Across all types of pensions, the gap between new and ended benefits is 253 euros.
Over the past year, the total cost of Basque pensions rose by 51.3 million euros, or 5.4%, reflecting an increase in recipients and the revaluation of contributory benefits. This year’s increase was set at 2.7%, matching the consumer price index between December 2024 and November of the previous year.
As the number of pensioners grows and the gap between new and old benefits widens, questions about the system’s sustainability are becoming more pressing. The Basque Country leads in pension amounts but lags in growth, reflecting Spain’s wider demographic and fiscal pressures. The situation recalls earlier reported cases in which vulnerable groups have encountered the limits of the welfare state. The Basque model remains a benchmark for pension generosity, while its slow growth points to mounting pressure to adapt to an aging population and rising costs.
