Uzbekistan plans to raise the minimum retirement age, Spot.uz reported. This was announced on September 10 by Murodbek Atajanov, Executive Director of the Pension Fund under the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
According to the draft reform, the retirement age would increase from 60 to 63 for men, and from 55 to 58 for women. The change will be gradual — by six months each year.
Atajanov noted that in many countries, the retirement age exceeds 65, while Uzbekistan has not changed it for 32 years. “Only Uzbekistan hasn't raised the age yet,” he said.
No final decision has been made yet. The Pension Fund plans to launch a public platform to collect feedback from citizens over one month. Based on the results, the reform will be revised and presented publicly.
Atajanov also proposed a softer approach — raising the age by three months per year. In that case, the full reform would take 12 years, with a one-year increase every four years.
In September 2024, a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov was approved to draft the reform concept. It must be submitted to the President’s Office by March 1, 2025.
The IMF has recommended reforming the pension system. In the past 10 years, the Fund's revenues increased 3.4 times, while expenditures grew 5 times. In 2022, the state allocated 11 trillion UZS; in 2023 — 15 trillion. By 2030, this figure may reach 38 trillion UZS.
The IMF’s resident representative noted that Uzbekistan’s retirement age is below the global average. He urged adoption of a reform concept and gradual implementation.
The Pension Fund confirmed that no official decision has been made yet. Expert proposals are being reviewed in the context of Uzbekistan’s socio-economic conditions.
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