Children and retirement: additional quarters, 10% increase for % and calculation over 24 or 23 years

Having a child entitles you to free pension credits: 4 for maternity or adoption, and 4 for childcare, for a total of up to 8 per child. From the third child onward, the retirement pension is increased by 10 (%). Decrees dated July 29, 2026, stipulate that, for pensions taking effect from September 1, 2026, the average annual income will be calculated over 24 years (one child) or 23 years (two or more children) instead of 25, for most of their provisions. The retirement insurance system indicates that this new calculation is not yet applied to new retirees: implementation is expected in 2027, with retroactive recalculation.

This page deals with the basic state pension for private sector employees. It does not cover child-related pension increases, income thresholds for the AVPF (French pension fund for private sector employees), schemes other than the general scheme, or the situation of people residing abroad. Supplementary pension amounts are not specified.

The quarters granted for a child

These quarters are free. They are provided for in fact sheet F16336 of service-public.gouv.fr (verified on 14/08/2026).

With at least one additional quarter for a disabled child, the record indicates a full-rate pension at 65, regardless of the total number of quarters.

Who receives the quarterly payments?

• Child born or adopted before 2010 The mother automatically receives the 8 quarters of pension credit. The father can receive the childcare allowance in specific cases. In the event of the mother's death, he is entitled to it if he raised the child for all or part of the 4 years following the birth or adoption. If he raised the child alone, he receives one quarter of childcare allowance for each year of raising the child, provided he can prove it, and for those 4 years.
• Child born or adopted from 2010 onwards, maternity : the 4 trimesters go to the mother.
• Child born or adopted from 2010 onwards, education Two quarters of pension contributions are automatically allocated to the mother. The remaining two quarters are divided according to the parents' choice, which must be made within six months of the child's fourth birthday or adoption date. If no choice is made, all four quarters are allocated to the mother. In case of disagreement, the two quarters are allocated to the parent who can prove they were primarily responsible for the child's upbringing for the longest period. If no proof is provided, each parent receives one quarter. This allocation cannot be changed, except in the event of a parent's death before the child reaches the age of majority. The declaration is made using form cerfa no. 51767.
• Adoption starting in 2010 Two of the four quarters go to the mother, the other two are divided according to the parents' choice, to be expressed within six months of the fourth anniversary of the adoption. If no choice is made, all four quarters go to the mother.

What these quarters change

Fact sheet F16336 specifies that the minimum retirement age is lowered by one year for people born from April 1, 1965 onwards who have at least one additional quarter (maternity, adoption, education, parental leave or disabled child).

According to news item A19025 on service-public.gouv.fr (August 18, 2026) concerning the decrees of July 29, 2026, bonuses or increases in pensionable service periods granted for children are taken into account in the period considered as having contributions for early retirement due to a long career. According to info.gouv.fr (September 2, 2026), up to two quarters granted for children can now be counted among the periods of contributions. The conditions for a long career are not addressed here.

The 10 % pension increase

The amount of the retirement pension is increased by 10% for parents who have had or raised at least three children. This includes children born to the parent(s) and those raised (dependent on the beneficiary or their spouse) for at least nine years before their 16th birthday. If you are eligible for a pension supplement, the 10% increase is calculated on the total pension amount, including the supplement. Supporting documents must be submitted with the retirement application.

The Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension has its own supplement: the pension is increased if you have had or raised at least three children (permanent supplement). A temporary supplement exists for a child still dependent at the time of retirement. The two cannot be combined: the higher one is awarded (form F15396, verified on 01/01/2026). This form does not provide a percentage. The figure 10 % applies only to the state pension.

Calculation over 24 or 23 years: the texts and their application

For private sector employees, the basic pension is calculated on the average annual income of the 25 highest gross salary years. This number is reduced to 24 if you receive an increase in insurance period for one child, and to 23 if you receive it for at least two children (form F21552, verified on 01/09/2026).

The increases that count are: 4 quarters per child for maternity or adoption, 4 quarters per minor child for education, 1 quarter per 30-month period for a disabled child of at least 80 %, and the duration of parental leave for education.

The dates.

• Two decrees, No. 2026-699 and No. 2026-700 of July 29, 2026, implement Article 104 of the Social Security Financing Law for 2026.
• They came into effect on August 1, 2026.
• Most of their provisions apply to pensions taking effect from September 1, 2026 (service-public.gouv.fr, news of 08/18/2026).
• The French National Retirement Insurance Fund (Assurance retraite) indicates, in a webpage updated on September 15, 2026, that this change has been applicable since September 1, 2026, but is not yet being applied to new retirees. It announces implementation "during 2027," as soon as the IT updates are deployed, with automatic recalculation and retroactive payments for those who retired before then.

The exact timeline for your case can be verified with your pension fund.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Claire had three children, born in 1994, 1997, and 2001. She is applying for her basic private-sector pension, effective after September 1, 2026. Assumptions in this hypothetical profile: her contribution quarters and bonuses give her the required number of years for a full pension (50 %). Her 25 highest gross salary years are distributed as follows: 21 years at €42,000, 2 years at €36,000, and 2 years at €30,000. These earnings are assumed to have already been adjusted to their current value and are below the Social Security ceiling. The 23-year calculation is assumed to be applied to her pension, although the French National Retirement Insurance Fund (Assurance retraite) indicates that this calculation is not yet applied to new retirees (implementation is expected in 2027).

Issue. How do children affect one's basic pension?

Strategy. Three steps, using the formula from form F21552 (average annual income × rate × duration ratio, here equal to 1):

1. The three children were born before 2010: the mother receives 8 quarters per child, i.e. 24 quarters of additional credit.
2. With increases for at least two children, the average annual income is calculated over 23 years instead of 25.
3. The pension is increased by 10 % (three children).

Result.

Extending the term to 23 years adds €459.13 per year before the increase (€505.04 after). The 10% increase (%) represents €2,073.91 per year (€172.83 per month) based on 23 years.

This is a textbook example. It does not take into account salary increases, the Social Security contribution ceiling, supplementary pension benefits, or income tax. The application schedule for the 23-year calculation to a new pension is described above and should be verified with your pension provider. Gross amounts, hypothetical profile: this does not reflect your specific situation.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your children's date of birth : before 2010, the mother receives the 8 quarters; from 2010 onwards, part is to be divided between the parents.
• The number of children, had or raised : 1 child (24 years), 2 or more children (23 years), 3 or more children (additional 10 %).
• The effective date of your pension : before or on or from September 1, 2026.
• Your diet This page deals with employees in the private sector.

The rule depends on your situation. No results are guaranteed.