How to calculate the number of quarters you need to retire

The quarter count is a crucial element in the evaluation of your retirement. The calculation of your pension depends on the number of quarters you will have acquired over the course of your career.

But how do you calculate the number of quarters needed to obtain retirement?

Note: the law reforming the pension system should be passed in 2019. As a result, there may be changes in the calculation of your pension.

If you have not validated a sufficient number of quarters when you retire, the amount of your pension will be subject to a décote (reduction).

In principle, as soon as you start working and whatever your status, you automatically contribute to your future retirement. This contribution takes the form of deductions from your salary which are listed on your pay slip under the mention "retraite" (retirement).

Attention: contrary to popular belief, the acquisition of quarters does not depend in any way on the time you have worked, but rather on the amount of your salary.

To validate a quarter in 2018, you must have contributed on the basis of a minimum wage equal to 1,482 euros gross over three months. This amount is reviewed annually. Please also note it is impossible to validate more than 4 quarters per year.

For example, an employee who has earned more than €5,928 in 2018 will validate 4 quarters, whether he or she received this salary in a few days or over several months. An employee who earned 5,000 euros in 2018 will not be able to validate more than 3 quarters.

Periods during which you were not working may also entitle you to quarterly validations; these are called equivalent quarters. They may be earned during;

• illness, accident at work, occupational disease
• maternity leave
• national service
• invalidity
• professional training courses
• inclusion on the list of elite athletes (since 2012)
• unemployment (in this case, one quarter will be validated every 50 days of compensated unemployment, up to a maximum of 4 quarters per year)

Current legislation also allows additional quarters to be validated under certain specific situations:

• if you have had or raised children
• if you have raised a disabled child
• if you have had a disabled adult in your care
• if you have taken parental leave
• if you accumulate points on your hardship prevention account

To find out how many quarters you have already validated, simply consult your online career statement, available on the official pension insurance website.

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