Private Health Insurance Cost in Germany (2026): Monthly Prices by Age and Job

Private health insurance (PKV) in Germany has no list price. Your premium depends on your age and health when you join, the plan you pick and your deductible, not on your salary. What you pay yourself then depends on your job: employees get an employer subsidy of up to €613.22 a month, the self-employed get none. Before any of that, check eligibility: an employee earning under €77,400 a year (2026) cannot go private.

This guide uses the 2026 figures. It shows the typical ranges, the maths behind them and how they compare with public health insurance (GKV, gesetzliche Krankenversicherung). Figures checked on 14 October 2026.

Want your own number instead of a range? A personal quote is free and non-binding.

What is a private health insurance premium made of?

A comprehensive private premium combines a base tariff, a statutory 10% surcharge, mandatory long-term care insurance, optional daily sickness allowance and your chosen deductible. Headline "from" prices rarely match the real monthly bill, because each part changes with your age, health and plan. The parts in detail:

• Base tariff: priced on your age at entry, your health and the benefits you choose.
• Statutory 10% surcharge: by law, 10% is added to comprehensive plans from the calendar year after you turn 21 up to the year you turn 60. From age 65 this money cushions premium increases, and from age 80 it reduces your premium.
• Long-term care insurance: mandatory (see the long-term care insurance guide), and part of what the employer subsidy covers (up to €104.63 in 2026).
• Daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld): optional for employees, who get sick pay from the employer, but important for the self-employed.
• Deductible (Selbstbehalt): a higher deductible lowers the monthly premium.

Ageing reserves (Alterungsrückstellungen) are built inside the premium from day one. They are there to cushion premium rises as you get older.

How does the premium change by age and job?

Insurer example tariffs rest on one set of assumptions, so we print no euro amounts by age. The only price here is the indicative €450 to €750 a month for a healthy employee aged 30 to 40. The table shows what moves the price at each age. For your own number, use the calculator or ask for a quote.

The subsidy rules are the same at every age. Only the gross premium changes. Premium increases later in life are covered in "Will it get more expensive?" below.

How much does my employer pay toward private health insurance?

If you are employed and privately insured, your employer must pay half of your premium, up to a cap of €613.22 per month in 2026. The subsidy is also never more than half of your actual premium. The cap is the most your employer would pay for a top earner in GKV, made up of:

• Health insurance: half of (14.6% + 2.9% average supplementary rate) of €5,812.50 = €508.59 per month.
• Long-term care insurance: 1.8% of €5,812.50 = €104.63 per month (Saxony: 1.3%, which is €75.56).
• Combined maximum: €508.59 + €104.63 = €613.22 per month. The subsidy is also never more than half of your actual premium.

This compares today's prices only. A private premium can rise later, while GKV changes with your income and the rates. See "Will it get more expensive?" below.

How much does public health insurance (GKV) cost by salary in 2026?

In 2026 an employee without children pays about 11.15% of gross pay for public health and care insurance, or 10.55% with a child. Contributions stop rising at the ceiling of €5,812.50 per month (€69,750 per year). Your employer pays its own share on top. The rates break down as follows.

GKV is income-based. The general rate is 14.6%, split 7.3% each between you and your employer. The supplementary rate (Zusatzbeitrag) averages 2.9% in 2026 and is also shared, so your side is 1.45% on average. Long-term care is 3.6% (1.8% each); employees aged 23 and over without children pay a 0.6 point surcharge on their own side, so 2.4%. The rates add up to 8.75% + 2.4% = 11.15% for you without children, or 8.75% + 1.8% = 10.55% with a child.

Contributions stop rising at the ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze): €69,750 per year or €5,812.50 per month in 2026.

Private vs public side by side

Above the ceiling, GKV costs the same at every salary, while the private premium does not depend on salary at all. So the comparison is the same at €80,000, €100,000 and €120,000. The private column uses the €450 to €750 range from above with a 50% subsidy.

The maths: €648.09 − €375 = €273.09 and €648.09 − €225 = €423.09. With one child, GKV is €613.22, so the difference shrinks by €34.87. Private cover is not always the cheaper choice. If you plan a large family or have health issues, compare carefully, and see the full public vs private comparison.

What do self-employed people pay for health insurance?

Freelancers and self-employed people pay the whole premium themselves, in GKV and in private cover alike, with no employer subsidy. In GKV the bill depends on income. In private cover it depends on age, health and plan, so the tariff and the deductible you choose matter more than your earnings.

A healthy self-employed person in their 30s can expect a comprehensive private premium in the same indicative range as an employee, roughly €450 to €750 per month, with no subsidy. At high income this can be well below the GKV ceiling. At low income, GKV's minimum contribution can be cheaper, so private cover is not automatically the better deal.

Add Krankentagegeld (daily sickness allowance) to the price. It replaces income when you are ill, because there is no employer sick pay (see how sick pay in Germany works for employees). Its cost depends on the level you choose and on the waiting period before it pays.

For the full picture, read our guide to private health insurance for freelancers.

What does health insurance cost for students and families?

Public student insurance costs about €143 to €148 per month in 2026, based on the BAföG rate of €855 and a reduced contribution rate of 10.22%. Students can apply to be exempt within three months of enrolment, but the decision is irrevocable for the whole degree. In private insurance each family member has their own policy and premium.

Students. Public student insurance is cheap. The contribution base is the BAföG rate of €855 per month, with a reduced rate of 10.22%. That is €87.38 health insurance, about €24.80 supplementary contribution at the 2.9% average, and long-term care of €30.78 (€35.91 if you are 23 or older and childless). The total is about €143 to €148 per month. Students can apply to be exempt within three months of enrolment, but the decision is irrevocable for the whole degree. Compulsory student insurance ends at the end of the semester in which you turn 30, with extensions for recognised reasons. Details are in our student guide.

Families and children. In private health insurance each family member has their own policy and their own premium, and the subsidy rules for family members are more detailed than for the employee alone. Children's premiums vary by plan and age, so this guide gives no single figure. If you have or plan to have children, ask for a quote that includes them. The choice between GKV family cover and private policies can change the whole comparison.

What affects the price of private health insurance?

The main drivers are your age at entry, your health at entry, the deductible and the tariff level. Sickness allowance adds a separate cost, and prices differ between insurers for similar cover. Unlike in GKV, your income has no effect on a private premium. The table shows each factor and what to know about it.

Premiums of the same insurer vary a lot between tariffs, so compare what is included before you compare prices. Our list of the best private health insurance in Germany explains how to judge a plan.

Will private health insurance get more expensive?

Usually, yes. Premiums follow medical costs, and insurers must adjust them when actual claims differ from their calculation. No official 2026 average increase was confirmed, so we do not quote a percentage. Three things limit the effect in old age:

• Ageing reserves built inside your premium from the start.
• The statutory 10% surcharge from the calendar year after you turn 21 until the end of the year you turn 60, which cushions increases from age 65 and reduces the premium from age 80.
• Safety nets: the basic tariff (Basistarif) must accept eligible applicants without risk surcharges and its premium is capped at the GKV maximum, €1,017.19 per month in 2026. If you need social assistance, it is halved to about €508.59. The standard tariff (Standardtarif) is only open to people insured before 2009.

Cost questions beyond the premium: how the employer contribution works, whether premiums are tax deductible and cover for families and children.

For insurer-level numbers, see our report on private health insurance premium increases and the insurer financial strength comparison.

Going back to GKV is possible under age 55 if you become liable for compulsory insurance. From 55 it is largely blocked. Think about this before you switch, and read about switching from public to private.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Social insurance values 2026: Deutsche Rentenversicherung, SV-Rechengrößenverordnung 2026
• Average supplementary rate 2026: Federal Ministry of Health notice, Bundesanzeiger 10.11.2025
• Contribution rates: §241 SGB V, §243 SGB V
• Exemption from compulsory insurance: §6 SGB V
• 2027 draft: Bundesrat Drucksache 576/26

Employer subsidy, GKV and student figures are calculated from these official inputs. Private premium ranges are indicative and based on published insurer and comparison examples, not on a quote.