The number of retirement applications is on a steady upward trend, putting increasing pressure on the EFKA pension system. This trend is attributed, on the one hand, to the establishment of pension eligibility for an increasing number of workers and, on the other hand, to disincentives for remaining in the labor market, as well as to fears of potential future changes to the retirement age.
According to the latest available data from the “ATLAS” information system, 21,214 new retirement applications were submitted last March , marking the highest monthly figure for the current year. This represents an increase of 2,851 applications compared to February and 5,405 compared to March 2025, confirming a steady upward trend on both a monthly and annual basis.
On a quarterly basis, the picture is even more revealing. During the period from January to March 2026, a total of 58,213 new retirement applications were recorded, a figure that represents a record since 2017, the year e-EFKA began operations.
Compared to the same period in 2025, applications have increased by 10,172. If this pace continues, it is estimated that total applications for the entire year may exceed 230,000, surpassing the previous high of 212,151 applications recorded in 2021.
Regarding the breakdown of new applications, nearly half (46% or 9,733 applications) are for old-age pensions. These are followed by applications for survivor’s pensions (19%), disability pensions (19%), applications for paraplegic benefits (13%), and, to a lesser extent, applications due to the death of an insured person (3%).
The increased flow of applications is accompanied by an intensification of their processing by the Agency’s services, in an effort to reduce the backlog of pending cases. In March, 22,380 applications were processed, of which 17,011 were approved, 1,501 were rejected, and 3,868 remained pending due to missing documentation. Compared to the same month in 2025, the number of completed applications increased by 5,816.
In total, 59,448 retirement applications were processed in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 8,882 compared to the same period last year. Of these, 46,052 were approved, 3,733 were rejected, while 9,663 were not processed due to missing required documentation.
Pending applications (with a waiting period of over 90 days) stood at 13,163 in March, showing a decrease on both a monthly and annual basis. However, the number of pending applications not yet due rose to 20,696.
In total, pending applications for primary pension benefits stood at 33,859, a level marginally higher than in February but down by 2,393 applications compared to March 2025. This figure does not include international pensions, estimated at an additional 5,000 to 7,000 cases, nor pending applications for supplementary pensions and lump-sum payments, which stand at approximately 30,000 and 5,000, respectively.
The overall picture shows that, despite the significant improvement in processing rates, the system continues to face significant pressure from the ongoing increase in applications.