How Much the Compulsory Military Service Completed by Romanians Adds to Their Pension

Those who completed compulsory military service have this period recognised when calculating their pension, even if no social insurance contributions were paid during those years. Law no. 360/2023 on the public pension system includes military service amongst the periods assimilated to the contributory period, alongside situations of concentration, mobilisation, or prisoner of war status.

The specific amount added to the pension varies, however, depending on the period during which the service was completed, with distinct rules applying to periods before and after 1 April 2001.

Military service: an assimilated period, but not a contributory one

Although it is recognised in the pension calculation, military service is not considered a contributory period, unlike years worked with paid contributions. In practice, it can increase the total score, but does not generate what are known as stability points.

How service completed before 1 April 2001 is calculated

The majority of those who completed compulsory military service did so before this date. For them, the formula of 0.25 points per year does not apply automatically. The law stipulates that the monthly score is calculated on the basis of the minimum wage in the economy (gross or net, as applicable) or the minimum gross basic wage applicable at the time.

As a result, two pensioners with the same number of months of military service may have different scores, depending on the exact year in which they completed their military service and the applicable minimum wage at the time. There is no fixed amount that applies to all those who served in the army during, for example, the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s — everything depends on the precise period.

How service completed after 1 April 2001 is calculated

For the period after 1 April 2001 and up until the current law came into force, the formula is more straightforward: 25% of the average monthly gross wage for the relevant period is used, which equates to 0.25 points for a full year.

Important: these 0.25 points are awarded monthly when establishing the score, and the annual score is derived by dividing the sum of the monthly scores by 12. Therefore, one year of military service does not equate to three pension points.

Exact amounts at the current value of the pension point

At the reference point value of 81 RON, the calculations are as follows:

• 1 year of military service: 0.25 points, approximately 20.25 RON added to the pension
• 18 months: approximately 0.375 points, i.e. approximately 30.38 RON
• 2 years: 0.50 points, approximately 40.50 RON
• 3 years: 0.75 points, approximately 60.75 RON

These calculations apply only to military service completed after 1 April 2001. For those who served before this date, the calculation is made according to the minimum wage applicable during the exact period of service, as mentioned above.

No stability points for years of military service

Although they increase the total score used in the pension calculation, months spent in military service do not count towards the award of stability points. These are granted exclusively for contributory periods exceeding 25 years — that is, for periods during which contributions to the public pension system were actually due.