Social insurance
Social insurance is the German protection system for all employees. It consists of 5 branches:
The 5 pillars and their contributions (2026, as % of gross pay):
• Health insurance: 14.6% + additional contribution (approx. 1.7%) → total approx. 16.3%
• Pension insurance: 18.6%
• Unemployment insurance: 2.6%
• Long-term care insurance: 3.4% (childless: 4.0%)
• Accident insurance: paid by the employer only
• Total: approx. 40.9% – you pay half, the employer the other half
Why so much? Social insurance protects you against life's biggest risks: illness, old age, unemployment, need for care, accidents at work. Without it, millions of people would be unprotected.
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