Kopplung des gesetzlichen Renteneintrittsalters an die Lebenserwartung? – Worauf es ankommt

Linking the statutory retirement age to life expectancy is widely seen as a rule-based response to demographic change to enhance long-term stability through automatic adjustments. However, empirical evidence suggests that political decision-making is not eliminated but redirected to the rule’s design and implementation. Moreover, differences in health and life expectancy may result in uneven social effects from uniform retirement age increases. The analysis shows that the sustainability of the policy measure depends on institutional context, including labour market conditions, preventive and rehabilitative policies, and effective disability protection, making automatic adjustment a politically embedded rather than purely technical reform.