Atal Pension Yojana Calculator
APY contribution for your chosen ₹1,000–₹5,000 monthly pension.
APY is open only between the ages of 18 and 40, and contributions run until you turn 60. The amount is auto-debited from your savings account on the date you choose.
Your APY plan in detail
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Joining age | 25 yr |
| Years contributing | 35 yr |
| Monthly contribution | ₹369 |
| Quarterly contribution | ₹1,107 |
| Half-yearly contribution | ₹2,214 |
| Total contribution | ₹1,54,980 |
| Indicative corpus to the nominee | ₹8,50,000 |
| Pension starts at | 60 yr |
The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a government-guaranteed pension scheme for Indian citizens aged 18 to 40. You contribute a small fixed amount until you turn 60, and from then on you receive a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000 or ₹5,000 for life. This calculator shows the contribution your chosen pension requires.
The contribution depends on just two things: the pension you pick and the age you join. Joining at 18 for the maximum ₹5,000 pension costs roughly ₹210 a month, while waiting until 40 for the same pension costs about ₹1,454 — seven times more, for twenty-two fewer years of paying. Age is by far the biggest lever in this scheme.
How is the APY contribution calculated?
PFRDA publishes a fixed contribution chart, and that chart is built on a simple relationship: each pension slab has an indicative corpus of 170 times the monthly pension (₹1.7 lakh for a ₹1,000 pension, ₹8.5 lakh for ₹5,000), and your contributions must reach that corpus by age 60 at an assumed 8% annual return. The contribution is the payment on a future-value annuity-due — contribution = corpus × i ÷ (((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) × (1 + i)), with i = 8% ÷ 12 and n the months between your joining age and 60 — rounded up to the rupee.
Joining at 18 for a ₹5,000 pension means 42 years, or 504 monthly payments, towards an ₹8,50,000 corpus, which the formula puts at about ₹205 a month against the chart's ₹210. Over the full term you contribute roughly ₹1,03,320 and the corpus reaches ₹8.5 lakh. Join at 40 instead and the same ₹5,000 pension needs about ₹1,434 a month (chart: ₹1,454) over 240 months — a total of about ₹3,44,160. Quarterly and half-yearly auto-debits are simply three and six times the monthly figure.
How to use this calculator
- Set your age at joining — anywhere from 18 to 40, the only window in which APY accepts new subscribers.
- Pick the guaranteed monthly pension you want from age 60: ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000 or ₹5,000.
- Choose how the bank will auto-debit you — monthly, quarterly or half-yearly. The total cost is identical; only the debit rhythm changes.
- Read the contribution, then compare it against joining a few years earlier to see how much the delay is costing you.
- Open the detail table for the years you will contribute, the total outlay and the indicative corpus payable to your nominee.
APY in practice
APY was designed for the unorganised sector — construction workers, drivers, domestic help, small shopkeepers, gig workers and anyone without an EPF account or an employer pension. Enrolment is through any bank or post office where you hold a savings account, with Aadhaar and a mobile number, and the contribution is auto-debited on a date you nominate. Since 1 October 2022, anyone who is or has been an income-tax payer is not eligible to join, which keeps the scheme aimed at lower-income savers.
Three features matter beyond the pension itself. The same pension continues to your spouse for life after your death, and the indicative corpus — ₹1.7 lakh to ₹8.5 lakh depending on your slab — is then returned to your nominee. Contributions qualify for a deduction under Section 80CCD(1B), over and above the ₹1.5 lakh Section 80C limit, though the pension you eventually receive is taxable as income. And keep the bank balance funded: a missed auto-debit attracts a small penalty of ₹1 to ₹10 per month depending on the contribution size, with the account frozen after six months, deactivated after twelve and closed after twenty-four.
Frequently asked questions
Who can join the Atal Pension Yojana?
Any Indian citizen aged 18 to 40 with a savings bank account and an Aadhaar-linked mobile number. Since October 2022, people who are or have been income-tax payers are barred from joining, so the scheme is now aimed squarely at unorganised-sector and lower-income savers.
Why does joining later cost so much more?
Because you buy the same corpus with far fewer instalments and far less compounding. A ₹5,000 pension needs an ₹8.5 lakh corpus by 60 whether you start at 18 or 40 — but at 18 you have 504 monthly payments to get there, and at 40 only 240, which is why the contribution jumps from about ₹210 to about ₹1,454.
What happens to the money after I die?
Your spouse continues to receive the same monthly pension for the rest of their life, with no separate contribution required. After both of you, the indicative corpus for your slab — ₹1.7 lakh for a ₹1,000 pension up to ₹8.5 lakh for ₹5,000 — is paid to your nominee.
Is APY eligible for a tax deduction?
Yes. Contributions qualify under Section 80CCD(1B) for up to ₹50,000, which sits on top of the ₹1.5 lakh Section 80C ceiling. Note that the deduction is available only under the old tax regime, and the pension you receive after 60 is taxable as income in that year.
What if I miss a contribution?
The bank charges a small overdue penalty — ₹1 a month for contributions up to ₹100, rising to ₹10 a month for contributions above ₹1,000. The account is frozen after six months of non-payment, deactivated after twelve and closed after twenty-four, so keep the linked savings account funded on your auto-debit date.
Can I change my pension amount or exit early?
You can switch between the five pension slabs once a financial year, and the bank adjusts the contribution accordingly. Voluntary exit before 60 is allowed, but you get back only your own contributions plus the net returns actually earned on them, minus account maintenance charges — the government co-contribution and the guarantee are forfeited.
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Disclaimer: results are estimates based on the inputs and published rules/rates, for information only — not investment, tax or legal advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional. See our full disclaimer.