The province cowith the highest pensions is Álava. The average pension reaches 1,703 euros per month, well above the national average, which stands at 1,366 euros.
To this level are added other provinces with a strong industrial fabric and higher salaries during working life:
- Biscay
- Gipuzkoa
- Madrid
- Asturias
- Navarre
All of them clearly exceed the national average and consolidate a pattern that repeats itself year after year.
Orense, at the opposite end
On the other side of the map appears Orense, with an average pension of 1,019 euros per month. It is followed by other provinces with lower levels:
- Lugo
- Almería
- Jaén
- Cáceres
- Badajoz
More than 680 euros per month in average pension.
The real gap: up to 786 euros in retirement
If only the retirement pension is analyzed, the difference is even greater.
- Álava reaches about 1,918 euros monthly
- Orense stays around 1,131 euros
This leaves a gap close to 786 euros per month, a distance that evidences two very different economic realities within the same country.
What explains these differences
The key is not in pensions themselves, but in the previous working life. The provinces with the highest pensions share characteristics:
- Greater industrialization
- Higher wages
- More stable career paths
Instead, in the provinces with lower pensions, predominate:
- More rural economies
- Greater weight of the services sector
- More irregular career paths
The result is a direct translation to the pension system.
The figure that marks reality: almost half does not reach 1,000 euros
Beyond the averages, there is a piece of data that defines the situation. 45% of pensions in Spain do not reach 1,000 euros per month.
Furthermore, 68% are below 1,500 euros and 80% do not reach 2,000 euros. Only a minority exceeds 3,000 euros.
More than 10 million pensions and a female majority
In Spain, around 10.5 million pensions are paid each month. Women are the majority among recipients, especially in widow's pensions, where the difference is very wide. This responds to structural factors of the labor market in previous decades.
A system that has risen… but not equally for everyone
Since 2018, pensions have been revalued by around 28% on average, linked to the CPI. However, that increase has not eliminated territorial differences.
The gap remains high and reflects inequalities accumulated over years: there are two Spains also in pensions