From January this year, recipients of the National Pension and Basic Pension will receive a 2.1% increase in their benefits. The Ministry of Health and Welfare held the first National Pension Review Committee meeting of 2026 at the National Pension Service building in Gangnam on January 9 and decided to increase the pension benefits and adjust the upper and lower limits of the standard monthly income.
The basic pension amount and dependent family pension amount for 2026 have been increased by 2.1%, reflecting the previous year’s consumer price inflation rate. As a result, approximately 7.52 million National Pension recipients will receive increased pension payments from January. Additionally, the ‘revaluation rate’ for calculating the benefits of new recipients was also determined.
The upper and lower limits of the standard monthly income, which is the basis for calculating pension premiums and benefits, have been adjusted to reflect the average income fluctuation rate of all National Pension subscribers over the past three years. The upper limit for 2026 has been changed from 6.37 million won to 6.59 million won, and the lower limit from 400,000 won to 410,000 won. Most subscribers will not be affected by this adjustment.
The basic pension amount has also been increased by 2.1%, reflecting the previous year’s consumer price inflation rate, from 342,510 won in 2025 to 349,700 won in 2026. Approximately 7.79 million elderly people will receive the increased basic pension from January.