Use this Dutch pension calculator to estimate your retirement income based on your salary, current pension balance, contribution rate, AOW, investment return assumptions, and retirement timeline.
How the Dutch pension system works (in plain language)
Retirement income in the Netherlands usually comes from three sources. First is AOW (state pension), second is your occupational pension through an employer fund, and third is any private savings or investments you build yourself.
- 1st pillar (AOW): A state benefit paid from your AOW age onward.
- 2nd pillar: Employer pension arrangements, often with contributions from both employer and employee.
- 3rd pillar: Personal retirement investing, annuities, and long-term savings.
This calculator combines those concepts into one practical estimate so you can quickly test whether your projected retirement income is likely to meet your target lifestyle.
What this Dutch pension calculator estimates
The tool projects your pension pot forward from today until retirement using:
- Your current pension balance
- Annual contributions based on salary and contribution rate
- Salary growth assumptions
- Expected investment returns before and after retirement
- AOW amount and inflation
At retirement, it estimates a sustainable annual withdrawal from your pension pot until your life expectancy age. It then adds projected AOW and compares total income with your target replacement rate.
Input guide: what each field means
Current age, retirement age, and life expectancy
These three numbers define your accumulation phase and drawdown phase. If retirement age is far away, compounding has more time to work. If life expectancy is higher, the same pension pot needs to last longer.
Gross monthly salary and salary growth
Salary is used to estimate your yearly pension contribution and your target replacement income. Salary growth can raise both your contributions and your expected standard of living in retirement.
Contribution rate
This is the total pension contribution percentage (employee + employer equivalent). If you are unsure of the exact number, check your pension statement or HR documents.
Investment return assumptions
Use conservative assumptions. A small change in expected return can significantly affect long-term outcomes. Consider testing multiple scenarios (optimistic, base case, conservative).
Replacement rate, inflation, and AOW
Replacement rate is the percentage of your final salary you want to maintain in retirement (for example 70%). Inflation is used to show both nominal and today's-euro estimates. AOW is included as a monthly amount in today's euros.
Example scenario
Suppose you are 35, plan to retire at 68, and earn €4,200 gross monthly. You currently have a €50,000 pension pot and contribute 20% of salary each year. With a 5% pre-retirement return assumption, the projected pension pot can grow substantially by retirement. After adding AOW and converting your pot into yearly income, you can compare this with your target replacement ratio to identify a surplus or shortfall.
How to improve your pension outcome
- Increase contribution rate gradually (even +1% helps over decades).
- Delay retirement by one or two years to allow extra growth and fewer withdrawal years.
- Review fees and asset allocation in your pension and private investment plans.
- Avoid lifestyle inflation if salary rises quickly.
- Build a separate buffer for healthcare and unexpected expenses.
Important limitations
No calculator can perfectly model Dutch pension rules, tax brackets, partner pensions, franchise thresholds, indexation uncertainty, or fund-specific policy changes. This page gives a planning estimate, not legal or tax advice.
Always verify assumptions with your pension provider (Mijnpensioenoverzicht), fund statements, and a qualified financial adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Is this calculator net or gross?
It mainly projects gross income. Tax and social contribution effects are not fully modeled.
Can I include private investing outside employer pension?
Yes. Add it to your current pension pot for a quick estimate, or increase contribution rate to approximate ongoing private savings.
Why show values in today's euros?
Inflation-adjusted numbers help you understand real purchasing power, not just larger nominal future amounts.