Pension in Austria at 65 and 45 Working Years: Mattle's Proposal Tyrol Governor Mattle proposes retirement no earlier than 65 and only after 45 years of work. What it means for future pensioners in Austria. Topics: News, Politics, Economy.

Tyrol Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) has proposed a change that could reshape Austria’s pension system: retiring no earlier than 65 and only after 45 years of work. He presented the idea on Ö1 “Mittagsjournal”, as reported by ORF Tirol. In Mattle’s view, a system based solely on age is outdated — what matters is how many years a person actually paid into the system. For parents, he suggests counting years spent caring for children as working time. This article breaks down the proposal, how it compares with current law, and who supports or rejects it.

The Core of Mattle’s Proposal: Retirement at 65 with 45 Years of Work

Anton Mattle wants to tie pension retirement to years worked rather than age alone. Specifically: you could retire no earlier than 65, but you would also need at least 45 years of contributions to the pension system.

Those who have not accumulated 45 years would have to work beyond 65. “This is also the retirement age that has been legally fixed so far,” the governor recalled in his interview. As Krone notes, Mattle wants to move away from a system that “orients itself solely on years of life.”

A reform of the pension system is something very, very important. I would be a fan of a system that asks: how many years have I paid into this system?

— Anton Mattle, Governor of Tyrol (ÖVP)

Counting Childcare Years Toward Working Time

A key element of the proposal is counting Betreuungsjahre (years of childcare) toward the required working time. Mattle believes that years when mothers and fathers raised children or cared for relatives should count the same as paid work.

“It seems necessary to me to count years of childcare by mothers and fathers, care obligations toward relatives, into this working time,” the politician explained. This matters because career breaks for childcare are exactly what lead to missing years and, consequently, lower pensions — especially for women.

Austria currently credits up to 60 months (5 years) of childcare time per child to the pension account. Whether the new proposal would change these rules is still an open question — for now this is a political initiative, not a bill.

How It Compares with Current Legislation

Today the regular pension age in Austria is 65 for men. For women it is being raised gradually from 60 to 65: according to the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt, women born after 1 July 1968 retire at 65.

Austria already has options with lower contribution periods:

Option	Age	Contribution years
Standard retirement (Alterspension)	65	15 years (180 months)
Korridorpension	from 62	40 years (480 months)
Long-term insured pension (“Hacklerregelung”)	62	45 years (540 months)
Heavy work pension	from 60	45 years, incl. 10 years of heavy work

Interestingly, 45 years are already built into the system: the pension formula 80/65/45 means that with 65 years of age and 45 contribution years, a person receives around 80% of average earnings. Mattle’s proposal would effectively make this combination mandatory rather than desirable.

Who Supports the Initiative and Who Opposes It

The idea has drawn mixed reactions. A similar move came earlier from Seniorenbund leader Ingrid Korosec (ÖVP): she also proposed focusing on working years — 40, 42 or 45 — rather than biological age.

However, the SPÖ rejected the proposal. The SPÖ-affiliated pensioners’ association also opposed it. FPÖ of Tyrol called the initiative ill-considered: MP Patrick Haslwanter said people in physically and psychologically demanding jobs “simply cannot continue after 40 or more years.”

At the same time, NEOS welcomed the start of a discussion about the pension age — the party has long called for reform based on demographic reality.

What the Proposal Means for Future Pensioners

If the idea becomes law, it would affect millions. Those who started working at 20 would reach 45 years of contributions by 65 — they would lose nothing. But people who started late, took time off for education, or had unemployment gaps might fall short and have to work longer.

Women are especially vulnerable: career breaks for childcare mean their average contribution record is shorter than men’s. That is exactly why Mattle insists on counting Betreuungsjahre. Experts note, however, that without a clear mechanism for converting such years into contribution time, the proposal could widen the pension gap.

For context: the average pension in Austria was around €1,900 per month in 2025, and women receive roughly 40% less than men. Any tightening of retirement rules directly affects these numbers.

Likelihood of Implementation and Next Steps

For now this is a political initiative, not a bill. Mattle is the governor of Tyrol — his voice matters, but pension reform is decided at the federal level. In 2026, the sustainability of the pension system is one of the hottest topics in Austrian politics amid an ageing population.

As Die Presse reports, the government is already looking for ways to save billions on pensions. Mattle’s initiative is part of this bigger discussion, and its outcome will depend on negotiations between the parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you currently retire before 65 in Austria?

Yes. There is the Korridorpension (from 62 with 40 years of contributions), the long-term insured pension (from 62 with 45 years) and the heavy work pension (from 60). From 2026, conditions for the Korridorpension gradually tighten.

What counts as 45 years of work and how is it calculated?

These are the total years in which you paid into the pension system: employment, self-employment, and credited periods (childcare, military service, unemployment in certain cases). You can check your record on the Pensionskonto.

Do women in Austria currently retire later than men?

Previously yes — women retired at 60. Since 1 January 2024, the age is being raised gradually to 65. Women born after 1 July 1968 will retire at 65, like men.

Will pensions in Austria become smaller because of Mattle’s proposal?

The proposal itself does not shrink pension amounts — it changes the rules for when you can retire. But if a person does not reach 45 years and has to work longer, their lifetime pension may end up lower due to fewer years of receiving payments.

What to Do Now

Until a reform is passed, current rules apply. To be ready for any changes:

• Check your contribution record on the Pensionskonto — see how many contribution years you have already
• If you are a woman born before 1968, confirm your individual pension age
• Consider voluntary contributions to the pension system if you might fall short of the required years
• Follow the news — if a bill appears, it will be debated in the National Council

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