The minimum budget for senior citizens

Over the course of 2022, STATEC, together with experts from the relevant sectors and with the help of 6 discussion groups, has developed a minimum monthly budget for people aged 65 and over who are retired, fully independent, in good health and renting a flat. The reference budget is EUR 2551 per month for a single senior citizen and EUR 3471 per month for a senior couple.

The 'reference' budget follows a European methodology and covers all the essential needs of Luxembourg residents. It is broken down into around ten baskets covering the items and services needed to meet the specific needs of senior citizens.

On the one hand, this budget helps to meet the essential needs of senior citizens, such as healthy eating and proper hygiene, and on the other, it enables them to play an active part in society. For seniors, particular attention has been paid to the possibility of ageing actively and continuing to participate fully in society to avoid social isolation. Numerous scientific studies point to the benefits of an active lifestyle for the physical and mental well-being of the elderly.

The food and social life baskets therefore account for a considerable proportion of the reference budget of the senior couple, with a monthly budget of EUR 500 and EUR 579 respectively. The food basket aims to provide a healthy diet and takes into account the particular characteristics of the elderly, in particular their need for energy, which decreases with age. The social life basket is designed to enable participation in physical, cultural and lifelong learning activities. It also includes a catering budget and a holiday budget.  

At EUR 47 per month for the couple, the health basket is more modest, since the starting assumption is that people are in good health. The basket takes into account common illnesses (flu, colds, etc.) as well as health concerns linked to ageing, such as joint, dental or sight problems. Compared with working adults (aged 45), the reference budget of the senior couple is EUR 434 higher.

All the results of the study can be found in the report "The reference budget of healthy, independent elderly people". A summary of the study has been compiled in 10 thematic "baskets" for key facts and figures.