Good news for retirees—preliminary CPI data enables calculation of November adjustments. If next year’s contributions align with the figures published by the National Statistics Institute on Tuesday, the state revaluation will be 8.46%. This substantial rise will benefit about 299,000 retirees and will raise aid for around 23,000 households receiving the Minimum Vital Income at the same rate.
The new calculation method for pension amounts uses the average inflation over the previous 12 months. As a result, the revaluation linked to contributory pensions will be determined at the end of November. Although the CPI has fallen to 6.8% due to lower electricity and fuel costs and has moderated for four consecutive months, the assumed adjustment for contributions remains at 8.46%.
In practical terms, the average pension for Alicante residents will rise by roughly 80 euros per month starting January, pushing the typical total beyond one thousand euros for the first time. Specifically, the average will move from 945.73 euros to 1,025.73 euros, according to official social security statistics.
Although this is an average figure, the final increase depends on each beneficiary’s specific pension type and amount. In Alicante, approximately one third of retirees receive the minimum supplement, meaning their accrued contributions fall below the legally established minimum for their pension type. About a quarter of beneficiaries nationally earn less than 600 euros per month, with 56,800 beneficiaries facing even lower levels.
Tell me where you live in Alicante and I’ll tell you how much pension you get
When broken down by pension type, the most common and sizable category is contributory pensions. In Alicante, about 212,832 people receive this pension, with an average of 1,071.97 euros, which translates to an increase of roughly 90.6 euros from January.
Widowhood pensions cover 80,866 recipients in Alicante, with an average payment around 707 euros. The rise for this group will be about 59.8 euros. Orphanhood pensions reach 12,466 residents with an average of 387.3 euros, and from January they will see an increase of around 32.7 euros.
Disability pensions number 23,151 recipients in the province, averaging 936 euros as of October 31, and they will gain about 79.1 euros.
The Minimum Vital Income beneficiaries, totaling just over 23,000 households nationwide, will also see an 8.46% increase.
Non-contributory benefits and the broader picture
A different situation applies to those who receive non-contributory benefits because they have not worked or accumulated enough contributions. Some benefits funded by Imserso sustain many households in Alicante, totaling around 17,900 people. The government has already announced maintaining a 15% extraordinary increase since July to mitigate price pressures for this group. Even so, non-contributory pensions remain modest, averaging about 499 euros, with regional averages around 537 euros in Valencia, and those with disabilities face particularly challenging levels of support.
Escrivá’s reform proposal: extending the contribution period
Inflation data that informs pension revaluations comes as José Luis Escrivá, the minister of inclusion and social security, floated a reform proposal. The idea is to extend the calculation period from 25 to 30 years and to ignore the two worst years within that span. This aims to assist workers who lose jobs or switch careers later in life, though it could reduce benefits for others.
Unions have pushed back on the proposal, while political partners have signaled concerns. The government’s stance includes adjustments to the premium base that employers pay and calls for negotiations to reach a broader agreement. There is also a plan to improve the treatment of gaps in contribution records for women and men who reduce their work time due to childrearing, consistent with gender gap considerations. Additional proposals address gaps for self-employed workers.