The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), under the Ministry of Finance, announced that the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) had crossed a historic milestone of nine crore total gross enrolments by April 22, 2026, with the figure being prominently reported across the financial press on April 23, 2026. Annual gross enrolments during financial year 2025-26 exceeded 1.35 crore subscribers, the highest-ever single-year addition since the scheme's launch on May 9, 2015. APY is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme designed primarily for workers in the unorganised sector who form roughly ninety per cent of the Indian workforce. It is open to all Indian citizens between 18 and 40 years of age who hold a valid savings or post office account, with income-tax payers excluded since October 1, 2022. Subscribers contribute monthly, quarterly or half-yearly via auto-debit and choose a fixed monthly pension amount of one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand or five thousand rupees, payable from age 60 for life. After the subscriber's death the spouse continues to receive the same pension, and on the death of both, the corpus accumulated up to age 60 is returned to the nominee. The Government of India guarantees the minimum pension if investment returns underperform. The 9-crore milestone reflects the deepening reach of India's social-security architecture and the success of seamless onboarding via the banking and Jan Dhan ecosystem. Senior officials credited the surge to drives by public-sector banks, expanded digital onboarding, and rising informal-sector awareness about old-age income security in the wake of demographic ageing trends.
Atal Pension Yojana Crosses Historic 9 Crore Subscriber Milestone in April 2026; FY 2025-26 Records Highest-Ever Annual Enrolment of More Than 1.35 Crore
PFRDA, under the Ministry of Finance, announced that Atal Pension Yojana crossed nine crore gross enrolments by April 22, 2026, with FY 2025-26 alone adding over 1.35 crore subscribers — the highest-ever single-year addition since launch in 2015. APY targets unorganised-sector workers aged 18-40 with a guaranteed pension of 1,000-5,000 rupees monthly from age 60.
Key facts
- PFRDA, under the Ministry of Finance, announced that the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) crossed nine crore total gross enrolments by April 22, 2026.
- FY 2025-26 saw record annual enrolments exceeding 1.35 crore subscribers, the highest single-year addition since launch.
- APY was launched on May 9, 2015 and is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme primarily for unorganised-sector workers.
- Eligibility is open to Indian citizens aged 18-40 with a savings or post office account; income-tax payers have been excluded since October 1, 2022.
- Subscribers receive a guaranteed monthly pension of one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand or five thousand rupees from age 60 for life.
- On the subscriber's death the spouse receives the same pension; on the death of both, the corpus accumulated up to age 60 is returned to the nominee.
- The Government of India guarantees the minimum pension if investment returns underperform.
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Practice MCQ from this story
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With reference to the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), consider the following statements: 1) The APY is administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the Ministry of Finance. 2) The Government of India guarantees the minimum pension under APY if investment returns underperform. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Both statements are correct. PFRDA, the statutory pension regulator under the Ministry of Finance, administers the Atal Pension Yojana, which crossed nine crore enrolments by April 22, 2026. The Government of India provides a guarantee of the chosen minimum pension if the investment returns of contributions underperform the expected level.
Source: PIB / DD News On Air
Frequently asked questions
What milestone did the Atal Pension Yojana cross in April 2026?
APY crossed nine crore total gross enrolments by April 22, 2026, with FY 2025-26 alone adding more than 1.35 crore subscribers — the highest-ever single-year addition since the scheme's launch in 2015.
Which authority administers the Atal Pension Yojana?
The Atal Pension Yojana is administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the Ministry of Finance.
What are the eligibility criteria for joining APY?
Indian citizens aged 18-40 with a valid savings or post office account can join. Income-tax payers have been excluded since October 1, 2022.
What pension amounts can a subscriber choose under APY?
Subscribers can choose a fixed monthly pension of one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand or five thousand rupees, payable from age 60 for life.
What happens to the APY corpus after the subscriber's and spouse's death?
The corpus accumulated up to age 60 is returned to the nominee.
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