New decline in early pensions after the interventions that made it more difficult and less convenient to leave work before old age: early pensions with effect from the first quarter of 2026 paid by the INPS were a total of 56,004 with a decrease of 8.97% compared to the same period of 2025 when they were 61,524.
The data – specifies the INPS which published the Monitoring of Retirement Flows – is still provisional (there are still checks to be paid starting in the first quarter) and therefore the percentage of decline could decrease.
The total pensions starting in 2025 were 880,139 for an average monthly amount starting from 1,221 euros while pensions starting in the first quarter of 2026 were a total of 211,524, for an average amount of 1,285 euros.
“In all managements – reports the INPS – there is a lower number of pension payments in the first three months of 2026 compared to the corresponding months of 2025”. The average exit age for early pensions is growing in all managements with the exception of para-subordinate workers and ranges from 61.2 years on average for direct farmers to 64.5 for para-subordinate workers, passing through 61.7 years for the employee workers’ fund and 61.8 years for the management of public employees. The gap in the amounts between the pensions paid to men and those paid to women is widening.
The pensions starting in the first quarter of the year paid to women had an average amount of 1,060 euros per month, 30.9% lower than the 1,534 euros paid on average with the new pensions to men.
The gap increased compared to 2025 when it stood at 26.25% with an average of 1,051 euros for women and an average of 1,425 euros for men. The figure is affected by the shorter (and sometimes absent) contribution careers of women who more often receive survivors’ pensions as well as the lower average salaries. Men can more often count on early pensions, linked to longer contributory careers. In the first quarter there were 38,314 for an average of 2,203 euros per month, more than double compared to the 17,690 paid to women for an average of 1,829 euros per month.
The pensions with the women’s option paid were just 500 in the first quarter compared to the 2,205 paid in the whole of 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, 64,513 old age payments were paid, 56,004 for advance payments, 10,461 for disability benefits and 53,502 allowances for survivors.
Looking at the individual managements, the employee pension fund totaled 87,312 in the first quarter of 2026, the management of public employees 23,006 and the artisans 21,682 checks. In the first quarter, traders liquidated 19,122 treatments, special funds 13,065 and parasubordinates 11,826. Direct farmers, farmers and sharecroppers paid 8,467 payments starting in the first quarter while social allowances totaled 27,044.