Langoustines are utter bastards

The province of Cáceres shows a significant gap in average pensions compared with the national average, worsened by a high percentage of residents over 65, which rekindles the debate over the sustainability of the system and intergenerational fairness.

The average pension in **Cáceres** stands at **1,163.94 euros** per month, some **210 euros** below the Spanish average of **1,373.44 euros** in August 2026. This gap becomes more pressing when we consider that **25.36%** of the population of Cáceres is 65 or older, a considerably higher percentage than the national average of **20.72%**. In the provincial capital, **20.35%** of residents were over that age in 2025. This demography, with a high proportion of retirees and a working-age population that has to support the system, highlights the economic tensions looming over the coming years.

## The weight of age and the pay gap

The pension system, which saw a general uprating of **2.7%** in 2026, paid out a record **14,470.4 million euros** nationwide in August. However, in **Cáceres**, the average benefit has risen by **7.72%** year on year to **1,163.94 euros**, but remains below the Extremadura average (**1,173.79 euros**) and far from the national figure. The average retirement pension in the province is around **1,350 euros**, while in Spain as a whole it approaches **1,575 euros**.

The disparities are notable even within the province itself. Municipalities with traditionally agricultural or livestock-based economies tend to have lower pensions. In **Eljas**, for example, the average retirement pension does not reach **800 euros** a month. To this is added the situation of the self-employed, whose average retirement pension in Extremadura stood at **995.37 euros** in spring, compared with **1,452.15 euros** for workers in the General Scheme, a difference of **456 euros** a month.

## The generational debate: paying in to draw out

While many retirees consider their benefits insufficient after a lifetime of work, younger generations are increasingly worried about their own future. The testimony of **Juan Leo**, a baby-boom retiree who receives **1,600 euros** after **45 years** of contributions, has rekindled the debate. Leo raises the concern that young people on lower wages may be receiving higher pensions than his, questioning whether the aim is to cut current pensions to raise future ones.

This view clashes with the reality of many young people facing precarious wages, difficulty accessing housing and unstable working careers. The underlying question is whether the system will be able to guarantee them benefits similar to today's in a few decades' time. In a province like **Cáceres**, with more than **102,000 pensions** and a high proportion of elderly residents, this debate goes beyond the theoretical. The question is not only how much current retirees will receive, but how to sustain decent pensions in an ageing territory without overburdening the new generations.

## Demographic pressure and future reforms

The retirement of the baby-boom generations, the largest ones, will place growing pressure on the system. The **Seguridad Social** (Spain's social security agency) already anticipates an increase in spending in the coming years due to this mass influx. In ageing provinces like **Cáceres**, where the elderly population carries great weight and rural municipalities are losing working-age residents, this phenomenon takes on even greater relevance.

The retirement age is also constantly evolving. In 2026, the standard age is **65** for those who have contributed for **38 years and three months**, or **66 years and ten months** for those who fall short of that period. From 2027, the age could rise to **67** for those with less than **38 years and six months** of contributions. This trend is especially significant for younger generations, whose working careers, often less continuous, will require increasingly longer contribution periods to retire at 65.

Doubts about future sustainability are not confined to political debate. The **Autoridad Independiente de Responsabilidad Fiscal (AIReF)** (Spain's independent fiscal watchdog) warns that compliance with the current spending rule does not ensure the long-term viability of public finances. Its forecasts estimate that public pension spending will average **14.6% of GDP** between 2022 and 2050, and it warns that population ageing will intensify pressure on public finances, especially from the middle of the next decade. For territories like **Cáceres**, the challenge is twofold: guaranteeing sufficient income for today's retirees while building a solid employment base to sustain the system in the future.