In the course of achieving gender equality and the independent social security of women, as well as recognizing the value of child-rearing for the long-term sustainability of pay-as-you-go pension systems, an increasing number of social systems in Europe have included the recognition of child-rearing in pension schemes since the 1980s. In the 1990s, many countries expanded the recognition of family work in pension insurance to also include the care of relatives. This work provides a comprehensive comparative overview of the recognition of child-rearing and caregiving in the pension systems of all EU member states and all candidate countries. It also focuses on the classification of these regulations within European social law. Recently, the European Court of Justice has addressed this issue in the rulings of Elsen and Kauer as well as Gaumain-Cerry.