According to figures published by the Ministry for Work and Immigration the average monthly retirement pension in Spain reached 917.53 euros in August this year which is an increase of 3.5% compared to the same period last year.

The average monthly amount paid out in benefits covering retirement pensions to incapacity benefit was 806.77 euros in August this year (an increase of 3.3% compared to the same period in 2010).

The average pension paid to widows was 587.16 euros a month (2.6% more than last year) while permanent incapacity benefit was reached an average of 870.97 euros a month (2.3% more than last year). The average monthly benefit paid to orphans rose to 359.71 euros a month (2.5% more than last year).

In August this year the total number of pensions paid out by the Spanish social security system reached 8,822,156. This figure represents an increase of 1.5% compared to the same period last year.

Out of the total number of benefits paid out by social security 5,257,989 were retirment pensions (2% more than last year), 2,311,967 widow’s pensions (+0.

8%), 940,541 permanent incapacity benefit (+0.4%), 273,629 benefit paid to orphans (+1.4%) and 38,030 represented other benefits (+0.8%).

In eight regions of Spain pensioners received more than the average national monthly amount. Pensioners in the Basque Country, Asturias and the Madrid region were the most well off receiving 997.96 euros, 960.68 euros and 955.75 euros a month respectively followed by Navarra (913.13 euros) Ceuta (852.17 euros), Cantabria (839.83 euros), Aragon (837.46 euros), Catalonia (833.04 euros), Melilla (786.76 euros), Castilla y Leon (784.34 euros), la Rioja (771.60 euros) the Canary Islands (756.81 euros), Castilla la Mancha (752.68 euros), the Valencian region (740.63 euros), Andalucia (738.10 euros) and the Balearic Islands (736.

08 euros).

The lowest pensions were received in Murcia (710.92 euros), Extremadura (685.07 euros) and Galicia (675.75 euros).