In Alicante, pensioners remain well below the national average, despite the government’s CPI-based revaluation that lifted benefits. The update did not close the gap, and the province’s retirees still face a wider disparity when compared to the rest of the country. The differences between new beneficiaries and the national benchmark remain pronounced, underscoring a persistent regional income lag.
Last April, the city’s half-board pension reached 1,032 euros, a gain of 91 euros from the previous year but 161 euros short of the national average of 1,193.1 euros. In practical terms, Alicante retirees receive 13.4 percent less than their counterparts elsewhere in the country.
When pensions are considered in isolation, the gap grows even larger. Pension payments account for about two-thirds of total income in the province. The average pension in Alicante stood at 1,170.8 euros, up 104 euros from the year before, yet still far below the national average of 1,372.98 euros. The shortfall is 202 euros, or 14.7 percent, even after the latest increase.
A small but telling detail: only a few retirees pass through Alicante. This underscores how the region’s pension landscape mirrors broader economic patterns and the living standards tied to local employment conditions.
This is a significant issue because retirees are the breadwinners for nearly a quarter of households in the province. Recent EPA data show that 23.6 percent of households rely on retired earnings, meaning the level of benefits directly influences regional consumption and activity patterns.
The situation grows more alarming when one looks at the decade-long trend. The average pension has advanced only marginally, while the gap between those who have retired recently and older cohorts continues to widen. Projections suggest this divergence will broaden further, pushing Alicante further from national averages over time.
As of March, the average amount for the most recently retired in Alicante reached 1,175 euros, which is 265 euros below the national average of 1,440 euros and stands 18.4 percent under the national average. This statistic highlights persistent regional inequality in retirement incomes.
Another layer of complexity comes from the compositional mix of the pension system. The public pension generally shows a higher base, while those who are self-employed often draw lower total benefits. In Spain, the general regime’s average pension sits around 1,290 euros, whereas self-employed retirees average about 873 euros, a gap of roughly 32 percent. This dynamic significantly shapes Alicante’s overall pension landscape and reinforces the rural and small-business salary patterns that pull regional averages downward.
Gender disparities remain stark as well. The average pension for women averages around 850 euros, about 31 percent less than men’s pensions, pointing to long-standing structural inequalities within the retirement system.
In terms of population changes, nearly 5,000 more retirees joined the province’s ranks in the past year. Recent SSI data show the total number of retirees rising to 333,614, with 215,633 of these drawing pensions. The remainder includes 81,221 widow’s pensions with an average of 768 euros, 23,070 permanent disability benefits, 12,442 orphan’s pensions, and 1,248 family-benefit pensions. These distribution figures reflect the shifting composition of retirement income in Alicante and help explain regional spending patterns and social protection needs.