How the Atal Pension Yojana Calculator works
Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a government-backed guaranteed pension scheme administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) in India. Unlike a market-linked retirement account, APY does not project a balance using a rate-of-return assumption. Instead, PFRDA publishes a fixed contribution chart: for every entry age from 18 to 40 and every guaranteed pension slab (Rs 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, or 5,000 per month from age 60), the chart specifies an exact monthly contribution. This calculator looks up your figure directly from that official chart rather than estimating it.
How the monthly contribution is set
The contribution amount depends on two things only: your age when you join and the pension slab you choose. A younger entrant contributes for more years, so the required monthly amount is smaller; an older entrant has fewer years to age 60, so the monthly amount is larger for the same guaranteed pension. For example, joining at age 18 for a Rs 5,000 monthly pension costs about Rs 210 per month for 42 years, while joining at age 40 for the same Rs 5,000 pension costs about Rs 1,454 per month for 20 years.
What the calculator reports
- Monthly contribution: the fixed amount debited from your linked bank or post office account each month until age 60, read directly from the PFRDA chart for your age and chosen slab.
- Contribution period: the number of years remaining until age 60, equal to 60 minus your current age.
- Total contributions paid: monthly contribution multiplied by the number of months remaining until age 60 — the total cash you pay in over the life of the account, before any government-administered investment growth.
- Corpus returned to nominee: an indicative figure, roughly 170 times the chosen monthly pension, that PFRDA quotes as the lump sum paid to your nominee after both you and your spouse have passed away.
How the guaranteed pension is paid out
From age 60, the subscriber receives the chosen guaranteed monthly pension for life. If the subscriber dies after payments begin, the spouse receives the same monthly pension for their remaining life. After both subscriber and spouse have passed away, the nominee receives the return-of-corpus amount shown above. Subscribers can generally change their pension slab (upgrade or downgrade) once a year, which changes the required contribution going forward.
Assumptions and scope
This calculator assumes on-time monthly contributions with no missed payments, uses the standard PFRDA contribution chart applicable to accounts opened at the standard (non-Government-co-contribution) terms, and reports the "return of corpus" figures PFRDA quotes as indicative. It does not model annual, quarterly, or half-yearly contribution frequencies (which carry small multiplier adjustments), account maintenance charges, or penalty interest for delayed payments — check your bank or the current PFRDA circular for those specifics before enrolling.