Contents (6 sections)
- An employee earning above the contribution ceiling pays up to €729.94 a month for public health and care insurance in 2027 (childless, scenario).
- Full-cover private tariffs cost €649–1,137 a month at age 35 (Stiftung Warentest 3/2025); employers pay half, up to about €672.56 in 2027.
- With a spouse without income and children, public insurance is often cheaper, because they are insured free of charge.
- The ten-year view uses the long-term averages of 3.9% (public) and 3.4% (private) a year – you can change both.
In 2027 an employee earning above the contribution ceiling pays up to €729.94 a month for public health and long-term care insurance (childless, scenario as of October 2026). A full-cover private tariff costs €649–1,137 at age 35 (Stiftung Warentest 3/2025), of which the employer pays half. Calculate your own comparison – including family and ten years:
–
Scenario as of 10 October 2026: contribution ceiling 2027 €6,375 a month (Federal Cabinet decision of 7 October 2026, Bundesrat approval pending), general rate 14.6%, assumed average additional contribution 2.9%, long-term care 3.6% (childless 4.5% per draft reform, from age 23; −0.25 points per child from the 2nd child). Self-employed: full contribution, minimum assessment €1,376.67 a month. Employer contribution to private: half of the premium, at most €672.56 a month in 2027 (scenario), for you and dependants together. A partner without income would need an own private policy (same premium as yours assumed); children in private tariffs. Ten-year view: increases as entered, employer maximum rising like public contributions; from 2028 a 2.5-point surcharge for a family-insured spouse without children. Guide values, not an offer, no tax effects.
Save your comparison – and get a second opinion in English
We email you your comparison with all assumptions. If you like, a specialised expert from our partner network checks it against real quotes – and tells you honestly if public insurance fits you better.
- Your public vs private comparison for 2027 and ten years
- Newcomer Health Insurance Starter Kit (PDF)
- Optional: a free call-back from a partner expert in English – no health questions online
Done! Thank you! We'll email you your comparison. A specialised expert from our partner network will usually get in touch within 24 hours (working days).
Newcomer Health Insurance Starter Kit (PDF)How the public vs private calculator works
The calculator compares what you pay – your own share after the employer's contribution – in the two systems. Germany has two health insurance systems: public insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV), where contributions depend on your income, and private insurance (private Krankenversicherung, PKV), where the premium depends on your age at entry, the tariff and your health. The calculator works in three steps.
1. Public contribution
Your income up to the contribution ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze) of €6,375 a month in 2027 (draft) is multiplied by 14.6% plus the additional contribution and the long-term care rate. Employees pay about half; childless people over 23 pay a care surcharge alone.
2. Private premium
Your premium per adult and per child is added up for everyone who would need a private policy. Employees get half of it from their employer – at most €672.56 a month in 2027 (scenario). Freelancers pay everything.
3. Ten years
Both sides grow by the rates you enter. The defaults are long-term averages from 2006 to 2026: 3.9% a year in public and 3.4% in private insurance per insured person.
Worked examples: public vs private in 2027
Three typical newcomer profiles, calculated with the defaults of the calculator. The private premium is the cheapest full-cover tariff for age 35 in Stiftung Warentest's 2025 test – a benchmark, not a quote.
| Profile | Public: own share | Private: own share | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee, 35, single, €90,000 | €729.94 | €324.50 | private €405 cheaper |
| Employee, 35, €90,000, spouse without income, 2 children | €656.63 | €975.44 | public €319 cheaper |
| Freelancer, 40, €70,000 profit, childless | €1,283.33 | €649.00 | private €634 cheaper |
How the family case works: In public insurance the contribution stays at about €558 for health insurance plus about €99 for long-term care (the care rate falls with two children) – because the spouse and children are family-insured (Familienversicherung) free of charge. In private insurance four policies are due: 2 × €649 + 2 × €175 = €1,648. The employer pays half, but health and long-term care are capped separately: at most €557.81 for health and €114.75 for long-term care insurance (§ 257 SGB V, § 61 SGB XI). Assuming about €60 long-term care premium per adult, the employer pays €617.81, so about €1,030 is left for you. Over ten years the single employee in the first row pays about €104,700 in public and €45,500 in private insurance in this scenario.
What the result means – and what it doesn't
A lower price today is only one part of the decision. Three points can turn the result around:
- Your family later: each new child costs extra in private insurance. If you are married, your spouse is publicly insured and you earn more than them and above €7,012.50 a month (2027), your children can't be family-insured for free (§ 10 (3) SGB V).
- Your age and health: the private premium is fixed by your entry age and underwriting. A risk surcharge, an exclusion or a rejection is possible – the calculator can't know that. We never ask health questions online.
- Your exit: if you leave Germany for a country outside the EU/EEA, a German private policy usually ends, and your ageing reserves (Alterungsrückstellungen) stay behind. Read what happens when you leave Germany and use the leaving-Germany planner.
Not eligible yet?As an employee you may only choose private insurance with a regular salary above €77,400 (2026) or €84,150 (2027, draft). The calculator still shows the private side for comparison – the income threshold checker tells you from which date you could switch.
The assumptions behind the public vs private comparison
| Value | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution ceiling per month | €5,812.50 | €6,375 (draft) |
| General rate + average additional contribution | 14.6% + 2.9% | 14.6% + 2.9% (assumed) |
| Long-term care (with child / childless) | 3.6% / 4.2% | 3.6% / 4.5% (draft) |
| Employee's maximum own share (with child / childless) | €613.22 / €648.09 | €672.56 / €729.94 |
| Employer contribution to private, maximum | €613.22 | €672.56 (scenario) |
| Self-employed minimum assessment per month | €1,318.33 | €1,376.67 |
| Long-term increase per year (2006–2026) | public 3.9% · private 3.4% | |
Individual health insurance funds charge different additional contributions – in October 2026 between 2.18% to 4.39%. Private tariffs rose for about 60% of policyholders on 1 January 2026, by about 13% on average (PKV association). Averages smooth out jumps: a single tariff can rise much faster in one year.
Freelancers: public vs private without an employer
As a freelancer you pay the full public contribution yourself – on all your income up to the ceiling, but at least on €1,376.67 a month in 2027. In private insurance nobody pays half either, which is why the gap can look large. But newcomers from outside the EU often have no route into public insurance at all, because they lack prior insurance periods. Read health insurance for freelancers in Germany before you rely on the public column.
Next steps after the comparison
- Not sure whether to stay public? The 60-second decider adds your planned stay and family plans and gives an honest answer.
- All arguments side by side: public vs private health insurance in Germany.
- What private premiums really look like: private health insurance costs in Germany.
- German terms explained: glossary.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare public and private health insurance costs in Germany?
Compare your own share, not the total: in public insurance employees pay about half of the contribution, in private insurance the employer pays half of the premium up to €613.22 a month (2026). Then add your family – in public insurance a spouse without income and children are free – and look at more than one year.
Is private health insurance cheaper than public in Germany?
For a single 35-year-old employee above the threshold, often yes at first: about €325–569 a month own share for full cover versus up to €729.94 in public insurance (2027, scenario). With a non-earning spouse and children it is often the other way round. Over decades the answer depends on price increases and your income.
Which private premium should I enter?
If you have a quote, enter its total monthly premium including long-term care insurance. Without a quote, the calculator starts with €649 – the cheapest full-cover tariff for a 35-year-old in Stiftung Warentest's 2025 test. Younger people often pay less, older people more; the real price depends on the health questions.
Why does the calculator show ten years?
Because one year says little about a decision that usually lasts decades. The ten-year view applies the long-term average increases per insured person from 2006 to 2026 – 3.9% a year in public and 3.4% in private insurance, according to the PKV association's research institute. Individual tariffs can rise much faster.
Does the calculator include sick pay?
For the self-employed, public insurance is calculated with the general rate of 14.6%, which includes sick pay after a declaration of choice. In private insurance, sick pay insurance (Krankentagegeld) is a separate add-on – include it in your premium if your quote has it.
Sources
- Federal Government: contribution ceilings 2027 (Cabinet decision) – 7 October 2026, Bundesrat pending
- § 257 SGB V – employer contribution
- § 10 SGB V – family insurance
- § 55 SGB XI – long-term care contribution
- Stiftung Warentest: private health insurance compared (Finanztest 3/2025) – 19 February 2025
- PKV association: why premiums rise (WIP comparison 2006–2026)
- Federal Ministry of Health: Cabinet adopts care reform (PNOG) – draft of 30 September 2026
This article provides general information on health insurance in Germany (as of 10 October 2026). It does not replace individual advice. Which solution suits you depends on your personal situation, e.g. age, health, income, family and length of stay. Despite careful review we cannot guarantee completeness and accuracy; laws and tariffs change. It is not immigration advice: whether your insurance is sufficient for a visa or residence permit is decided by the German mission abroad or your immigration office. Publisher: German-PKV.de. German-PKV.de is not an insurance broker and does not provide insurance, legal or tax advice; individual advice is provided exclusively by specialised cooperation partners licensed under § 34d GewO.