The present invention provides aqueous pigmented coating compositions having a pigment volume concentration pvc of at least 10 which are essentially free from volatile organic compounds and comprise: (i) at least one aqueous room temperature film forming polymer dispersion of at least one polymer P which is composed of esters of acrylic acid with C2-C20 alkanols or C5-C10 cycloalkanols and/or esters of methacrylic acid with C1-C20 alkanols or C5-C10 cycloalkanols, (ii) at least one inorganic pigment and, if desired, organic or inorganic fillers, (iii) from 0.05 to