More than half of Germans do not believe the federal government's planned pension reform will stabilize retirement provision over the long term, according to the latest Deutschlandtrend poll by Infratest dimap for public broadcaster ARD.
A total of 52% of respondents said they did not expect the full implementation of an expert commission's proposals to make the pension system more future-proof, while 35% believed it would succeed.
The plan to bring the self-employed, politicians and board members of public companies into the statutory pension insurance system received particularly strong support, with 84% saying they considered this the right approach, while 11% opposed it.
Majority against abolition of retirement at 63
A funded supplementary pension with slightly higher contributions from both employees and employers also received majority support, with 56% saying this was the right path, while 32% said it was wrong.
By contrast, linking the retirement age to life expectancy and abolishing the option to retire at 63 met with opposition, with 63% against a higher retirement age tied to rising life expectancy, and 70% opposed to abolishing the option to retire at 63.
Fears of financial hardship in old age
Just under half of Germans (48%) said they had great or very great concerns about financial difficulties in old age. Concerns about Germany as a business location were even greater, with 78% expressing great or very great worries.
Infratest dimap surveyed 1,317 eligible voters aged 18 and over in Germany by telephone and online between June 29 and July 1 for the ARD's Deutschlandtrend. The poll is described as representative.
