The UK state pension rose by the joint greatest amount in Europe this year thanks to the triple lock – but retirees still receive far less than many of their neighbours in the EU.
The full new state pension in the UK works out at an average of £241.30 per week – or £1,045.63 a month – after a 4.8 per cent rise in April 2026 in line with average earnings, an increase matched only by Denmark.
The big boost comes amid concerns about the future of the triple lock – which sees the state pension rise each year by whichever is highest out of wage growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent – with some seeing the guarantee as an unsustainable expense.
However, the UK state pension ranks far below many other European countries with pensioners in Luxembourg receiving over five times those in the UK and those in Switzerland over double, according to data compiled by Almond Financial.
The difference between maximum entitlement in the UK and that in the top ranking countries has also grown by hundreds of pounds since 2025.
