1. CNSS pension calculation in 2026
Official formula
The base pension is 50% of the SAMR, the reference average annual salary over the last 8 years before retirement.
Each validated year of contributions beyond 15 years adds 1%. The rate is capped at 70% of the SAMR, reached after 35 years of contributions.
Beneficiaries with at least 15 years of contributions are guaranteed a minimum of MAD 1,500 a month. The CNSS pension cannot exceed MAD 6,000 a month; above that, you need a supplementary scheme (CIMR) or a private pension.
3 worked examples for 2026
Example 1. An executive paid MAD 15,000 a month over the last 8 years has a SAMR of MAD 180,000 a year. With 35 years of contributions (maximum increment), the formula gives 70% × 180K = MAD 126,000 a year, or MAD 10,500 a month. The CNSS cap brings this down to MAD 6,000 a month.
Example 2. An employee paid MAD 6,000 a month over the last 8 years has a SAMR of MAD 72,000 a year. With 30 years of contributions (50% + 15 × 1%), the pension is 65% × 72K = MAD 46,800 a year, or MAD 3,900 a month.
Example 3. A worker paid MAD 3,500 a month over the last 8 years has a SAMR of MAD 42,000 a year. With 25 years of contributions (50% + 10 × 1%), the theoretical pension is 60% × 42K = MAD 25,200 a year, or MAD 2,100 a month. The guaranteed minimum does not apply because this amount is above MAD 1,500.
2. Legal age and early retirement
Legal retirement age: 60
For private-sector employees, the legal age is 60. You need at least 3,240 days of contributions (the equivalent of 9 years full time) to receive a proportional pension, which is at least MAD 1,500.
A full pension requires 35 years of contributions, or 12,600 validated days. You can keep working after 60 if your employer agrees, since combining work and a pension is allowed.
Early retirement at 55
Three conditions must all be met: you must be at least 55, have contributed at least 3,240 days (9 years) and have a valid reason, such as a recognized partial disability, a long-term chronic illness or a company restructuring (PSE).
Each year of early retirement reduces the pension by 1%. Leaving at 55, 5 years before the legal age, therefore cuts the calculated pension by 5%.
Progressive retirement (since 2024)
From age 58, you can reduce your working time to 60 % - 80 % and receive a share of your pension in proportion to the time freed up. The program is still at the pilot stage, with wider rollout planned for 2026-2027.
It eases the move into retirement: you keep a part-time activity and the CNSS tops up income on the reduced portion. The trade-off is a slightly lower final pension (2 to 4% less), depending on how long the progressive phase lasts.
3. Applying for your pension: the steps
Check your record years in advance
Consult your career statement on the CNSS insured portal, macnss.ma, and check every period declared by your successive employers.
A missing period is far easier to put right years before you retire than at the moment you apply. If an employer failed to declare a period, gather your payslips from that time and file a claim with the CNSS, online or at a branch.
Estimate the amount before deciding
Apply the formula described above to your reference salary to get a rough figure for your pension, then judge from there whether early retirement is workable.
If you also belong to a supplementary scheme, add its estimate. Our multi-scheme retirement simulator combines CNSS, CIMR and RCAR on a single basis.
File the pension application
Old-age pension applications are filed on TAAWIDATY (taawidaty.cnss.ma), reachable from the macnss.ma insured portal, or at the CNSS branch of your choice. The service launched in December 2021 and was extended in 2023 to old-age and disability pensions.
Start the process before your activity ends, which limits the income gap between your last salary and your first pension.
4. Survivor pensions (death of a retiree or contributor)
Surviving spouse
The surviving widow or widower receives 50% of the deceased's pension, provided the marriage took place more than a year before the death and the surviving spouse has not remarried.
In polygamous marriages, which are rare, the pension is split equally between the surviving wives. The Muslim marriage must be recognized under civil law.
Dependent children
Each orphan under 21 (26 if a student) receives 25% of the deceased's pension. A child who has lost both father and mother receives 50%.
The pension is paid directly into the bank account of the designated legal guardian. A school certificate must be renewed every year.