Pension calculation looks complicated at first sight, yet the logic is simple. For each year worked you collect points based on your salary versus the national average, and when you retire the sum of points multiplied by the current point value gives your monthly amount. Our calculator applies this formula in seconds, and the guide below explains what sits behind it, with concrete examples and planning notes.
Numbers here were checked on 17 June 2026 against CNPP, Law 263/2010, and ASF reports for Pillar II.
Quick answer
Basic formula: Pension = Points accumulated × Point value.
Point value on 1 May 2026: 89 lei, indexed once a year in spring.
Annual point = Your gross salary / National average gross salary (capped at 5).
Full contribution period in 2026: 35 years for men, 30 years 8 months for women.
Standard retirement age 2026: 65 men, 62 years 6 months women.
Use our pension calculator for a personal estimate in 2 minutes.
The full formula explained
Your Pillar I pension (the state public system) is calculated under Law 263/2010, art. 95:
Pension amount = Number of points × Point value
Where:
• Number of points is the sum of annual points collected across your entire career.
• Annual point = (sum of gross monthly earnings in the calculation year) / (sum of national average gross salaries in the same year), capped at 5 points per year.
• Point value is the lei amount set by the government and updated yearly.
A concrete one-year example. An employee on 7,350 lei gross per month in 2025 earned 88,200 lei across the year. The national average gross salary in 2025 was 6,875 lei per month per INS, total 82,500 lei. Annual point = 88,200 / 82,500 = 1.069 points. A full year at 7,350 lei gross gave you 1.069 pension points.
How points add up across a typical career
Take a woman with 30 years 8 months full contribution (366 months), career average net salary 5,875 lei, national average across her career 5,500 lei. Career average point = 5,875 / 5,500 = 1.068. Total points = 1.068 × 30.67 = 32.75 points. Pension: 32.75 × 89 = 2,915 lei per month.
The same calculation for a man with 35 full years, career average 6,500 lei net, national average 5,500: average point 1.182, total points 41.37, pension 3,682 lei per month.
Steps inside our calculator
On /en/calculatoare/pensie the tool applies the formula automatically, in 5 steps.
Step 1, age and gender: needed to set the applicable retirement age and the minimum contribution period.
Step 2, years already worked: enter how many years you have already contributed (or check on the CNPP stagiu certificate).
Step 3, current gross salary: enter your current monthly gross salary (NOT net).
Step 4, expected career-average salary: estimate your average pay over the years left until retirement. For people staying in the same career, the current salary adjusted by an average growth rate works as a good approximation.
Step 5, optional, Pillar II: enter the amount currently accumulated in your Pillar II account from your statement. The calculator adds an estimate of your Pillar II pension at the historical average return of 5.8% per year.
The result shows your monthly Pillar I estimate, the projected Pillar II contribution, and a total monthly figure at retirement in 2026 prices.
Pillar II and Pillar III, completing the picture
Romania's pension system has 3 pillars.
Pillar I: the mandatory public pension, calculated with the formula above.
Pillar II: the mandatory private pension. 4.75% of your gross salary goes automatically to your personal account at one of the 7 ASF-authorised funds (Carpathia, NN, Generali, BCR, BRD, Allianz-Țiriac, Aegon). The 15-year historical average return is 5.4% above inflation. At retirement the accumulated sum converts into monthly payments for a fixed term or for life.
Pillar III: the voluntary private pension. You set your monthly contribution (3-5% of net salary works well) with tax benefits (deductibility up to 400 EUR per year). Payments at retirement follow the fund's rules.
Case study: Alexandra, Bucharest, January 2026
Maria Popescu, former Ziarul Financiar journalist: "A reader, Alexandra, 47, manager at a software firm in Bucharest, wrote me in January 2026 with her numbers: 22 years worked, current salary 18,700 lei gross. Using our calculator she estimated her Pillar I pension at 65: 4,840 lei per month in 2026 prices, plus a Pillar II account currently at 78,400 lei which at a steady 5.8% return through age 65 will reach 184,600 lei.
"Converting Pillar II into monthly payments over 20 years (the average pension duration at retirement age 65) adds 1,140 lei per month. Total estimate: 5,980 lei per month at retirement versus current net salary of 11,890 lei. Replacement rate 50.3%. To keep her standard of living, Alexandra decided to add Pillar III with a monthly contribution of 850 lei until retirement, which will add another 425 lei per month at retirement. Projected total: 6,405 lei, replacement rate 53.9%. The general lesson: an annual pension calculation makes the gap concrete and turns the Pillar III decision into a numerical one, not an emotional one."
Practical decisions after the calculation
If your replacement rate (estimated pension / current net salary) is:
Under 40%: large gap. A Pillar III contribution above 5% of net salary is needed to keep your standard.
Between 40% and 55%: medium gap. Pillar III at 3-5% of salary cuts the gap meaningfully over 15-20 years.
Above 55%: small gap. Pillar III is optional, perhaps with a small contribution (1-2%) and a focus on other instruments (government bonds, investments).
For people over 50 with a large gap, extra options include delaying retirement by 1-3 years (a 6.75-20.25% increase in points) and optimising the existing portfolio.
Common errors in personal calculations
First common error: confusing net with gross salary. The annual point uses gross, not net. The difference on the final pension can run 25-30%.
Second: ignoring periods without contributions (long leaves, gaps between jobs, unemployment). These generate no points and pull the career average down.
Third: a static estimate of future salary. Pay typically rises with seniority and promotions. A realistic estimate uses the likely average over a 5-10 year horizon plus the average inflation rate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive pension and work income at the same time? Yes, combining the two is allowed without limits for age-based pensions.
Payments abroad? Pillar I pension can be received in a bank account in another EU country through a standard transfer form. For non-EU countries the rules depend on bilateral agreements.
Can a surviving spouse receive a pension? Yes, under Law 263/2010. The amount is 50% of the deceased's pension, subject to over 10 years of marriage and age conditions (55 for a widow, 60 for a widower).
Are Pillar I and Pillar II payments separate? Yes. Pillar I comes from the National Pension House while Pillar II payments come from your fund. At retirement the 2 payments may arrive on different days.
Is your calculator legal? Yes. We use the public formula from Law 263/2010 with current values from CNPP, INS, and ASF. The result is estimative; the final amount at retirement is set by CNPP after complete documentation of your contribution history.
Related
• Pension calculator
• Retirement age calculator
• Pillar II, verifying the investment
• Compound interest explained
Maria's note: "Pension calculation isn't a fixed figure, it's a projection driven by many factors, yet it's the only concrete tool that lets you plan supplements (Pillar III, savings, investments) with a cool head. The recommendation for every Romanian under 55 is one annual calculation, 10 minutes, to see the direction and act while there is still time to act."