Self-employed individuals in Catalonia receive an average retirement pension of 1,063 euros per month, which is 38.2% lower than the 1,720 euros received by salaried workers. The gap reaches 657 euros monthly, according to the latest report from the CTESC.
Catalan self-employed individuals receive an average retirement pension of 1,063 euros per month, compared to the 1,720 euros that a salaried worker in the general regime receives. The difference is 657 euros monthly, which is 38.2% less, according to the report from the Consell de Treball, Econòmic i Social de Catalunya (CTESC) presented on September 23, as reported by abc.es.
The study analyses the situation of a group that closed 2025 with 574,315 affiliations in Catalonia, accounting for 14.9% of the total. Self-employment continues to grow, but the organisation warns of the differences in social protection compared to salaried employment.
The main cause lies in the contributions. Since 2023, the contributions of self-employed individuals are linked to the net income from their activity, but current pensions reflect what was contributed over decades under the previous system. That model allowed individuals to choose their contribution base unrelated to their business income. About 80% of self-employed individuals opted for the minimum base, which meant paying lower fees during their working life and, as a consequence, generating entitlement to lower pensions upon retirement.
The lower benefit coexists with a later retirement age. Across Spain, self-employed individuals accessed retirement at an average age of 66.5 years in 2025, compared to 65.1 years for workers in the general regime.
Within the group itself, a gender gap also persists. In Catalonia, the average retirement pension for self-employed women was 23.3% lower than that of men, although the gap is smaller than in the general regime, where it reaches 32.7%.
The CTESC proposes to equalise the coverage of contribution gaps, periods without contributions, to that of the general regime. It also calls for improving the information received by self-employed individuals, with simulations that allow them to see how their future pension would change based on the base they contribute to.
You may also like
