About the CPP Calculator (Canada Pension Plan)
This CPP calculator shows how the age you start your Canada Pension Plan retirement pension changes both the monthly payment and the total you receive. Enter the monthly amount you would get at 65 — you can find it in your My Service Canada Account statement of contributions; the maximum for someone starting at 65 in January 2026 is $1,507.65 — then choose a start age between 60 and 70 and your life expectancy.
Starting CPP early permanently reduces the pension by 0.6% for every month before 65, a 36% cut at age 60. Delaying adds 0.7% for every month after 65, up to 42% more at age 70. The calculator applies those adjustments, adds up every monthly payment until your life-expectancy age, and finds the break-even ages where waiting overtakes starting earlier.
It is designed for Canadians in their late 50s and 60s planning retirement income alongside OAS, RRSP/RRIF withdrawals and workplace pensions. Amounts are in today’s dollars unless you add an indexation rate (CPP is indexed to inflation every January). It does not model the CPP post-retirement benefit, survivor pensions, the Quebec Pension Plan or income tax.
With the default inputs, the monthly cpp at your start age is $900.00. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the cpp calculator (canada pension plan)
- 1Enter your estimated monthly CPP at 65 from My Service Canada Account.
- 2Choose the age you are thinking of starting, from 60 to 70.
- 3Set a realistic life expectancy for yourself.
- 4Compare lifetime totals and the break-even ages in the table and chart.
Formula and method
The CPP retirement pension can start any time from 60 to 70. For each month you start before your 65th birthday the pension is permanently reduced by 0.6% (7.2% a year, up to 36% at 60). For each month you delay after 65 it is increased by 0.7% (8.4% a year, up to 42% at 70). There is no extra increase after 70.
Lifetime totals add every monthly payment from the start age until the month before your life-expectancy age. The optional indexation rate grows payments once a year from age 60, identically for every start age. Break-even ages are the first month when the later start’s running total catches the earlier start’s.
- P₆₅
- Monthly pension if started at 65
- m
- Months before or after age 65
Worked examples
$900 at 65, living to 87
Starting at 65 pays $900 a month for 264 months: $237,600. Starting at 60 pays $576 for 324 months ($186,624) and at 70 pays $1,278 for 204 months ($260,712). Waiting from 60 to 65 breaks even just before 74, and from 65 to 70 just before 82.
Start at 60 with 2% indexation, living to 80
Starting at 60 cuts a $1,200 pension by 36% to $768. With 2% annual indexation and a life expectancy of 80, starting at 65 collects about $274,900 versus $223,900 from 60, while waiting to 70 does not catch up with 65 before 80 — the best start age is 67.
Delaying to 70
Sixty months of delay at 0.7% adds 42%, turning $1,000 into $1,420 a month. Paid for 20 years to age 90, that is $340,800 — about $40,800 more than starting at 65.
Frequently asked questions
How much is CPP reduced if I take it at 60?+
Your pension is reduced by 0.6% for each month before age 65, so starting at exactly 60 means a permanent 36% reduction. A $1,000 pension at 65 becomes $640 a month at 60.
How much more do I get if I delay CPP to 70?+
Each month after 65 adds 0.7%, or 8.4% a year. Starting at 70 gives 42% more than at 65, so a $1,000 pension becomes $1,420. There is no benefit to waiting past 70.
What is the CPP break-even age?+
Comparing 60 with 65, the break-even is roughly age 74; comparing 65 with 70, it is roughly age 82 in today’s dollars. If you expect to live longer than that, delaying usually pays more over your lifetime.
Where can I find my CPP estimate?+
Sign in to My Service Canada Account to see your statement of contributions and an estimate of your monthly retirement pension at 65. You can also request a statement from Service Canada by mail.
Is CPP taxable?+
Yes. CPP retirement pensions are taxable income. You can ask Service Canada to deduct tax at source, and couples may be able to share CPP pensions to reduce combined tax.
Can I work while receiving CPP?+
Yes. If you work while receiving CPP before 70, you and your employer can keep contributing, and those contributions earn a post-retirement benefit that is added to your pension the following year. Contributions are optional from 65 to 70.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.