Agirc-Arrco pensions rise 1.4% from 1 November: how the 'second half' of a French pension works

On 14 October 2026, the board of the Agirc-Arrco federation decided to raise the pensions of former private-sector employees by 1.4% from 1 November 2026, Agirc-Arrco announced. The board is made up of representatives of trade unions and employers' organisations. According to the federation, the decision aims to protect retirees' purchasing power while keeping the scheme financially sound.

The news is not only for people who are already retired. Anyone employed in France's private sector is already paying into Agirc-Arrco and building up points in it. Here is how it works.

Two parts of one pension

For a salarié du privé, the pension has two parts. Service-public puts it plainly: the Agirc-Arrco pension "is added to your basic pension" (retraite de base). The 14 October decision only affects the second, supplementary part (retraite complémentaire).

Points, not years

Agirc-Arrco turns employee and employer contributions into points on a personal account. At retirement, the points are multiplied by the 'value of the point' (valeur de service du point), which gives the annual pension.

The 2026 figures from service-public (page checked on 1 January 2026):

• contributions are 7.87% on earnings up to €48,060 a year (3.15% paid by the employee, 4.72% by the employer) and 21.59% on earnings between €48,060 and €384,480 (8.64% and 12.95%);
• points are calculated as: earnings × points rate (6.20% up to €48,060, 17% above) ÷ the 'reference salary' of €20.1877;
• the value of a point is €1.4386.

An illustration using that formula: annual earnings of €30,000 give 30,000 × 6.20% ÷ 20.1877 ≈ 92 points for the year. Each such year adds roughly 92 × 1.4386 ≈ €132 a year to the future pension (at the point value shown on service-public, i.e. before the November increase).

Some periods without work also earn points: long sick leave or a workplace injury with daily benefits, unemployment benefits (ARE, ASP, ASS), and partial unemployment (chômage partiel) of more than 60 hours in a year.

When the money arrives

According to service-public, the supplementary pension is paid on the first working day of each month. In 2026, 1 November falls on a Sunday and is also a public holiday (Toussaint), so the first working day of November is Monday 2 November.

Small pensions work differently. With 101 to 200 points, the pension is paid once a year at the start of the year. With 100 points or fewer, it is paid once, as a lump sum. That is common for people who worked in France for only a year or two.

Retiring abroad: the certificat de vie

Many people who have worked in France later retire in another country. French pension funds can ask every year for proof that the pensioner is alive, and this applies whatever your nationality (service-public, checked 1 September 2025). The main points from that page:

• one certificate is enough for all your pension funds;
• you can provide it through the 'Mon certificat de vie' app (you get a QR code by post or e-mail and have 4 days to finish once you start), through an automatic data exchange with the civil registry of your country of residence, through an on-the-spot check by an approved trusted third party, or with a certificate stamped by the consular service and uploaded on Info Retraite ('Mes paiements retraite / Ma retraite à l'étranger');
• paper certificates go to the Centre de traitement Retraite à l'étranger, CS 13 999 Esvres, 37321 Tours Cedex 9, France;
• you have one month after the e-mail notification. Otherwise, pension payments may be suspended.

One application for all funds

Service-public recommends applying about 6 months before the date you want to retire. A single application covers all basic and supplementary funds, and it is passed on to the other funds automatically.

In short

• Agirc-Arrco pensions rise 1.4% from 1 November 2026, following the board's decision of 14 October.
• The November payment is due on 2 November, because the 1st is a Sunday and a public holiday.
• If you are employed: every year of work earns points, which are later multiplied by the point value. That value is what the board adjusts.
• If you live abroad: watch for the certificat de vie request. You have one month to reply.

Sources: Agirc-Arrco, 'Retraites complémentaires Agirc-Arrco : une revalorisation de +1,4 % au 1er novembre 2026', 14 Oct 2026; service-public.gouv.fr, F15396 'Retraite complémentaire dans le privé : Agirc-Arrco' (checked 1 Jan 2026); service-public.gouv.fr, F2543 'Retraité vivant à l'étranger : quand faut-il présenter un certificat de vie ?' (checked 1 Sep 2025). General information, not advice on any individual situation.