In Catalonia, a pension case from Spain is drawing attention after 75-year-old Oswaldo Martín said he receives about €900 a month after working for 22 years as a baker. His pension is well below the national average retirement pension of €1,572 a month, according to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration for May 2026.
Martín, who is originally from Argentina, told the specialist publication NoticiasTrabajo that his pension was calculated “according to what I had contributed”. He added, “It's not logical, but you can't ask for more.”
The Spanish pension system is part of the welfare state and is meant to provide income after working life. The amount a person receives depends on several factors, including the length of contributions, retirement age and Social Security payments. For readers following wider coverage of public services and household finances, see our news page.
Martín also raised concerns about self-employed workers, saying some retire with around €700 after 30 or 40 years of contributions. He said he knows many people in that position, which points to the differences in pension outcomes across work histories.
He said his daughter lives in France and “earns much more”. Martín also said salaries in Almería, where he lives, are “medium-low”, although he added that the cost of living is lower than in other regions.
Speaking about his years as a baker, Martín described starting work “at 12:30 or 1 at night” and finishing “around 12 noon”. He said the job is manageable when you are young, but becomes harder later in life, especially if you have no other option.
The Ministry says the average retirement pension in Spain rose by 4.4% over the past year to €1,572 a month in May 2026. Cases like Martín’s show how much pension income can vary depending on each person’s contribution record.
