KSK contribution rates 2026 (Beitragssätze)
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Which rates apply in 2026 for pension, health and long-term care insurance, which part of them members bear themselves, and when the new contribution becomes due — as the Künstlersozialkasse states it.
The 2026 rates
| Insurance | Contribution rate | Member's share |
|---|---|---|
| Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung) | 18.6% | 9.3% |
| Health insurance (Krankenversicherung) | 14.6% | 7.3% plus half of your own statutory health insurer's additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) |
| Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung), parenthood with one child | 3.6% | 1.8% |
| Long-term care insurance, childless | 4.2% | 2.4% (1.8% plus a 0.6-point surcharge, borne alone) |
Source: Künstlersozialkasse, page „Beitrag“ (kuenstlersozialkasse.de/kuenstler-und-publizisten/beitrag), checked on 28 September 2026.
On the 3.6% rate the Künstlersozialkasse writes: „Der Beitragssatz zur sozialen Pflegeversicherung im Jahr 2026 liegt bei 3,6 % bei nachgewiesener Elterneigenschaft mit einem Kind; für jedes weitere Kind unter 25 Jahren verringert sich der Beitragssatz um 0,25 % (bis zum 5. Kind).“ (The contribution rate for statutory long-term care insurance in 2026 is 3.6% where parenthood with one child is proven; for each further child under 25 the rate falls by 0.25% (up to the 5th child).)
Who bears the rest
Members pay roughly half of the standard social-insurance rates; the Künstlersozialkasse covers the other half. Two points differ from an even half:
- Care insurance for the childless. The member's share is 1.8%; the childless bear the surcharge of 0.6 percentage points alone. Together that is 2.4% — not half of 4.2%.
- The health insurer's additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag). It varies by health insurer. The Künstlersozialkasse adds half of the individual additional contribution „ggf. von Ihrer gesetzlichen Krankenkasse erhobenen“ (charged, if any, by your statutory health insurer) to the 7.3%; your own health insurer states its amount.
The shares for health and long-term care insurance refer to statutory insurance. For members exempted from it in favour of private health and long-term care insurance, the reported annual income from work is, according to the Künstlersozialkasse, „eine wichtige Rechengröße bei der Berechnung der Versicherungsbeitragszuschüsse der Künstlersozialkasse (KSK)“ (an important figure in calculating the KSK's insurance contribution subsidies). What applies in your case is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse.
When the new contribution becomes due
The income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) for the coming year goes to the Künstlersozialkasse by 1 December. It notifies members of the new contribution in January; it is first due on 5 February.
According to the Künstlersozialkasse, the report leads to binding monthly contributions that can no longer be corrected retroactively — „verbindlichen Monatsbeiträgen, die rückwirkend nicht mehr korrigiert werden können“. Changes only apply to the future; how a change during the current year works is described under Changing the income estimate during the current year.
What this page does not do
This page states the rates, nothing more. The figure you report to the Künstlersozialkasse is your own estimate of your profit — business income minus business expenses, see Profit is reported, not turnover. Neither this page nor Künstlerfinanzen helps you pick a number. Questions about your own contribution are answered by the Künstlersozialkasse.
The rates as an open dataset
The same figures are available in machine-readable form, with a source for every row, under CC BY
4.0: as JSON at
https://kuenstlerfinanzen.de/api/v1/beitragssatz
and as CSV. The endpoints and fields are described on the page
Offener Datensatz: KSK-Beitragssätze (German).
Read next
Frequently asked questions
What are the KSK contribution rates for 2026?
What care insurance contribution do childless KSK members bear?
Does the health insurer's additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) count towards the KSK contribution?
Sources
By the Künstlerfinanzen editorial team. Page last checked: 2026-09-28. The information comes from:
- Künstlersozialkasse: Beitrag (contribution)
- Künstlersozialkasse: Jahresmeldung für Versicherte (annual report for insured members)
This text reproduces the information published by the Künstlersozialkasse. It is not legal advice and not tax advice. What applies in your case is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse or an adviser of your choice.