Quebec Pension Plan (QPP)
In Québec the Régime de rentes du Québec replaces the CPP: same maximum at 65, but its own adjustment rules, its own contribution rates and a pension that can start as late as 72.
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The maximum Quebec Pension Plan retirement pension is $1,507.65 a month in 2026 for a pension started at 65, the same ceiling as the CPP. Starting earlier lowers it for life: Retraite Québec cuts 0.5 % to 0.6 % for each month before 65, the higher rate applying to the largest pensions, so the maximum at 60 is $964.90. Starting later raises it by 0.7 % a month, up to age 72, where the maximum reaches $2,394.15. Few people get the maximum: those who started at 65 in 2026 receive $731 on average. Workers and employers each pay half of a 10.60 % base rate and a 2.00 % supplementary rate on earnings between $3,500 and $74,600, then half of 8.00 % up to $85,000. The pension is paid on the last business day of each month. The amount you receive is the one Retraite Québec confirms.
Your QPP pension at the age you start it
QPP pension per month, starting at 62
$573 – $599
| Change compared with 65 | −18.0 % to −21.6 % |
| Same entitlement under the CPP | $573.10 |
Before 65 Retraite Québec cuts 0.5 % to 0.6 % a month, closer to the higher rate as the pension nears the maximum: the range covers both ends.
The pension at each starting age
The QPP retirement pension can start at any age from 60 to 72. Retraite Québec publishes the maximum and the average pension for people who applied in 2026; the table below rebuilds the maximum from the $1,507.65 ceiling with the official monthly rates.
| Starting age | Change vs 65 | Maximum per month | Average for 2026 applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | −36.0 % | $964.90 | $490 |
| 62 | −21.6 % | $1,182.00 | – |
| 65 | 0 | $1,507.65 | $731 |
| 67 | +16.8 % | $1,760.94 | – |
| 70 | +42.0 % | $2,140.86 | $1,038 |
| 72 | +58.8 % | $2,394.15 | $1,161 |
The computed maximums match Retraite Québec’s own figures: $964.90 at 60 and $2,394.15 at 72. Before 65, the percentages shown are those for a maximum pension; a smaller pension loses a little less.
Why the early reduction is not a single rate
The CPP applies one rate to everybody who starts early. The QPP does not. Retraite Québec explains that the monthly reduction is about 0.5 % for someone with a low pension and rises in proportion to the pension amount, up to 0.6 % for someone entitled to the maximum. In practice, a worker with a short or low-paid career pays a smaller price for starting at 60 than a high earner does. Our mini-simulator shows that range when your pension is below the maximum, because the exact sliding formula is not published on the page we read. Take the average pension at 65, $731: started at 62, it becomes between $573 and $599 a month, and the person keeps that lower amount for the rest of their life, indexation aside. Waiting until 67 would instead give $854.
QPP and CPP side by side
| QPP | CPP | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum at 65 (2026) | $1,507.65 | $1,507.65 |
| Reduction per month before 65 | 0.5 % to 0.6 % | 0.6 % |
| Increase per month after 65 | 0.7 % | 0.7 % |
| Latest starting age | 72 | 70 |
| Employee rate up to the first ceiling | 6.30 % | 5.95 % |
| Earnings ceilings | $74,600 · $85,000 | $74,600 · $85,000 |
The two plans share their earnings ceilings and their maximum at 65. The differences are in the early-start reduction, the extra two years of possible deferral and a higher contribution rate in Québec.
Your QPP pension at the age you start it
QPP pension per month, starting at 62
$573 – $599
| Change compared with 65 | −18.0 % to −21.6 % |
| Same entitlement under the CPP | $573.10 |
Before 65 Retraite Québec cuts 0.5 % to 0.6 % a month, closer to the higher rate as the pension nears the maximum: the range covers both ends.
Contributions in 2026
Workers in Québec contribute on employment earnings above the $3,500 basic exemption. Retraite Québec states the rates as totals, shared equally between employee and employer: 10.60 % for the base plan and 2.00 % for the supplementary plan up to $74,600, then 8.00 % on the slice up to $85,000. A self-employed worker pays both halves.
For a salary of $50,000, the employee share comes to $2,929.50 for the year, against $2,766.75 for the same salary under the CPP outside Québec. The difference is the cost of the QPP’s higher base rate. Contributions stop at the ceilings: the most an employee can pay in 2026 is $4,895.30.
Payment dates in 2026
Retraite Québec pays on the last business day of the month: January 30, 2026, February 27, 2026, March 31, 2026, April 30, 2026, May 29, 2026, June 30, 2026, July 31, 2026, August 31, 2026, September 29, 2026, October 30, 2026, November 30, 2026, December 30, 2026. December is paid on the 30th. Old Age Security, a federal benefit, arrives separately on the Service Canada calendar, so a Québec retiree usually sees two deposits a few days apart; the federal dates are listed elsewhere.
What a retiree at 65 can count on
At 65, most Québec retirees combine two public pensions. Someone entitled to the QPP maximum and a full Old Age Security pension receives $1,507.65 from Retraite Québec plus $762.50 from Service Canada for October to December 2026, or $2,270.15 a month before tax. With the average QPP pension of $731, the total falls to $1,493.50, which is why low-income retirees should also check the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
Working out your own pension
A search for “rrq calcul” usually means one question: how much will I get? The starting point is your statement of participation, available in your online file with Retraite Québec, which gives the pension you have earned so far at 65. Enter that figure in the mini-simulator above, choose an age, and you get the monthly pension in 2026 dollars, before indexation.
Two cautions. The QPP pension is taxable, so the deposit is lower than the gross figure if you ask for tax to be withheld. And starting early is permanent: the reduction does not end at 65. Readers comparing with the federal plan can use the CPP calculator and the guide to starting at 60 or 70; the Old Age Security page covers the pension that adds to the QPP at 65. Figures come from Retraite Québec’s 2026 amounts and its calculation page.