Later Life · 6-country comparison

State Pension Age & Amount: 6-Country Comparison (2026)

The public pension is the floor under every retirement plan — it sets how much your own savings actually need to generate. But when you can claim it, how much you get, and whether delaying pays vary a lot between countries. Here's how the state pension compares across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and Switzerland.

Claiming age & full amount at a glance

Delaying pays — usually a lot

Almost every system rewards waiting, and the increase is permanent and inflation-linked — often a better "return" than you'd get safely anywhere else:

What this means for your own plan

• Check your forecast first — the UK State Pension forecast, Canada's CPP/OAS statements, Ireland's PRSI record, your US SSA statement, or your Swiss AHV account. Plan around your real number, not the headline maximum.
• Fill gaps where it's cheap — buying voluntary UK NI years is one of the best-value moves in personal finance; check the equivalent in your country.
• Bridge to the claiming age — if you want to stop work earlier, you'll need accessible savings (ISA, TFSA, super, taxable investments) to cover the years before the pension starts.
• Treat it as the floor, not the plan — every figure here is below a comfortable retirement on its own; it reduces how much your own savings must generate, not replaces them.

For the full later-life picture — care costs, health coverage and claiming strategy — see the Later Life guide, localised for all six countries.

↪ Part of our 6-country cost comparisons — see how every big financial decision compares across these six markets.

In the US the state you retire in matters as much as the benefit itself: retirement cost by state.

For US retirees the healthcare side moves annually — what has changed in Medicare, including the new cap on drug costs.

For the Canadian decision specifically, the start date moves the payment by more than most people expect: when to take CPP.

Ireland began automatically enrolling employees into a supplementary pension in 2026: My Future Fund explained.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can you claim a state pension in each country?
The standard claiming age is 66 in the UK and Ireland (the UK rising to 67–68), 65 in Canada (CPP/OAS) and Switzerland (AHV), 67 in Australia (Age Pension), and 67 for full US Social Security. Most systems let you claim earlier for a permanently reduced amount or defer for a higher one.

Does delaying your state pension increase it?
Yes, in most systems. Deferring raises the amount permanently — for example roughly +24% by delaying US Social Security from 67 to 70, +42% for Canadian CPP from 65 to 70, and a higher weekly rate for the UK and Irish pensions. If you have good health and other income to bridge the gap, delaying is often a strong, inflation-protected return.

Are state pensions means-tested?
It varies. Australia’s Age Pension is means-tested on income and assets; Canada’s OAS is clawed back at higher incomes; the UK and Irish contributory pensions and US Social Security are based on your contribution record rather than a means test.

Sources

• US — Social Security Administration (benefit amounts, claiming ages)
• UK — gov.uk / DWP (new State Pension, deferral, NI)
• Canada — Service Canada (CPP, OAS)
• Australia — Services Australia (Age Pension)
• Ireland — Department of Social Protection (State Pension Contributory)
• Switzerland — federal social insurance (AHV)

Figures as of June 2026 (2024–25 rates), in local currency and not exchange-rate adjusted; full/maximum rates depend on your contribution record. Compiled from public official sources; general information, not individually verified or personalised advice. See our disclaimer.