The growing number of people with very low pensions is a serious social problem. This means that more and more seniors are unable to support themselves on their own benefits, which may lead to poverty and exclusion.
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Data provided by ZUS show that the number of the so-called penny pensions have increased since 2011 from 23.9 thousand. up to 433.1 thousand in 2024. Just 15 years ago, they constituted 4.2%. total pensions paid according to the new system, while in 2024 it was already 9.9%.
Penny pension is becoming more and more common in Poland. The data is shocking
As a reminder: a penny pension is a benefit paid by ZUS, the amount of which is lower than the lowest guaranteed pension (in 2026, the minimum pension increased to PLN 1,978.49 gross).
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According to Bizblog.Spidersweb.pl, ZUS data shows that almost 42 thousand seniors receive less than PLN 600 a month, and the number of all pensioners below the minimum exceeded 459,000.
The pension system in Poland – where do the penny pensions from ZUS come from?
Worse still, the number of seniors who will receive penny pensions may increase to over 600,000. people.
Detailed data from ZUS reveal the disturbing scale of the problem. At the end of 2025:
- 5.5 thousand people even received benefits less than PLN 50 per month,
- 8.6 thousand people received benefits in the range PLN 50-200 per month,
- 10.4 thousand people was getting PLN 200-400 per month,
- 17.3 thousand people was getting PLN 400-600 monthly.
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As Bizblog.Spidersweb.pl explains, the problem of penny pensions does not result from low ZUS payments, but from the design of the system. To receive the minimum pension, you must have worked for at least 20 years (women) or 25 years (men).
The minimum pension is not the same as a penny pension
In practice, even one day of work and one contribution is enough to obtain the status of a pensioner. Then the benefit depends solely on the accumulated funds, without any state subsidies. As a result, many people receive very low amounts.
See also: How does ZUS calculate pension in practice? A simple step by step guide
It is worth remembering that the pension benefit for people born after 1948 is calculated on the basis of all accumulated contributions for the entire period of professional activity, i.e. from starting work to retirement, rather than a specific number of years.
People with no work experience and no entitlement to these benefits, who have worked at least one day, will receive a pension calculated only from the contributions paid.
Record high and shockingly low pensions. The difference is colossal
According to the latest ZUS data, in December 2025 the highest pension in Poland amounted to 51.4 thousand PLN gross. It is collected by a man whose seniority is 67 years. On the other hand the lowest pension benefit amount is shocking – it is only 2 groszy. Two people in Poland are entitled to this absurd amount from ZUS. One of them is a woman who has only worked one day, the other is a man whose work experience is one month.
