Social security contributions increase for higher salaries

BarcelonaSince last Thursday, January 1st, Social Security has been applying an extra contribution, the so-called solidarity contribution, to salaries exceeding the maximum contribution base, which for 2026 will be €5,101.2 per month (€61,214.4 per year) after a 3.2% increase compared to the previous 3.9%. This contribution, which will come into effect in 2025 and be fully implemented in 2045, consists of an additional contribution on the portion of the salary that exceeds the maximum contribution base. It is applied in tiers and progressively. In 2025, the solidarity contribution was 0.92% for the salary bracket up to 10% above the maximum base, 1% for the bracket between 10% and 50% above the maximum base, and 1.17% for the bracket exceeding 0.5%. These contribution rates increase this year to 1.15%, 1.25%, and 1.46%, respectively. Given that the maximum contribution base will be €5,101.20 per month this year, the Social Security contribution rate for applying this solidarity fee will be 1.15% for salaries between €5,101.20 and €5,611.39, with the employee contributing 0.00%. If the salary is between €5,611.33 and €7,651.80 per month, the contribution rate will be 1.25% (1.04% paid by the employer and 0.21% by the employee), while for salaries exceeding €7,651.80 per month, the contribution rate will be 1.22% paid by the employer and 0.24% paid by the employee.

In 2045, when the solidarity contribution is fully implemented, the first bracket will have a rate of 5.5%, the second bracket will have a rate of 6%, and the third bracket will have a rate of 7%. This additional contribution does not generate the right to a higher pension amount and affects salaried employees, not the self-employed, who already have their own established contribution system based on their actual income. The distribution of solidarity contribution rates between employer and employee maintains the same proportion as the distribution of the general Social Security contribution rate for common contingencies.

New increase in the MEI

Along with the increase in the solidarity contribution, this year will see another rise in the additional contribution provided by the so-called Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (MEI), included in the pension system's sustainability plans. Thus, starting this Thursday, January 1, 2026, this additional contribution will rise to 0.90%, compared to 0.80% in 2025, of which 0.75% will be paid by the employer and 0.15% by the employee. The MEI will continue to increase until 2029, after which it will be set at 1.2%, and the funds collected through it will go towards increasing the Social Security Reserve Fund, the so-called pension fundThis fund closed 2025 above €14 billion, its highest level since December 2017, after receiving contributions of more than €4 billion from the MEI (European Investment Mechanism). As a result, on November 30, 2025, the fund's value reached €13,683.81 million. From January 1, 2023, the year the MEI came into effect, until November 2025, contributions made under this scheme totaled €9.8 billion. The MEI will continue to apply until at least 2050. From 2030 onwards, this premium will remain at 1.2%.

This year, adding the MEI percentage (0.9%) to the contribution rate for common contingencies (28.30%), the total contribution rate will be 29.2%, compared to 29.1% in 2025. The MEI applies in all cases where contributions are made while working after reaching retirement age.