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A working group has been formed in Uzbekistan to develop a concept for pension reform, which is to be presented to the President’s Administration by March 1, 2025. It is clear that one of the key directions of this reform is the gradual increase of the retirement age to 65, as recommended earlier by the World Bank. Currently, women in Uzbekistan retire at 55, and men at 60. However, this initiative has sparked serious debates and criticism within society, and not without reason.
Instead of blindly copying foreign solutions, we must seek local approaches that are adapted to Uzbekistan’s unique conditions. Considering the country’s social and economic realities, raising the retirement age could prove to be an ineffective, even destructive, measure if not accompanied by comprehensive efforts to improve quality of life and social protection for the population.
Several social, economic, and medical factors in the country make such a reform highly problematic. Let’s explore why.
Low Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy in Uzbekistan is around 72 years for men and 77 years for women, which is significantly lower than in developed countries where the retirement age has already been increased.
If men in Uzbekistan are to retire at 65, this means many will enjoy their well-deserved rest for only a few years or may not even live to see retirement at all. This calls into question the very essence of the pension system, which is supposed to ensure a dignified old age.
“We are often presented with the global experience, where people in developed countries indeed retire at 65. But there’s a catch. According to the 2024 data from the Statistics Agency, the average life expectancy of men in Uzbekistan is 72 years, whereas in Switzerland, with which we are often compared, it’s 82 years. Factor in the rapidly deteriorating environment, water quality, and living conditions, and our men may live even shorter lives. As a result, a man in Uzbekistan will, on average, enjoy his pension for 7 years, while a Swiss man will for 17 years. Is this fair? Hardly. In developed countries, the retirement age is determined not only by life expectancy but also by wealth,” said blogger and public figure Islam Kaparzo.
According to Kaparzo, raising the retirement age is one way to save on pension payments while extending the period during which citizens contribute to the pension system by an additional five years. This frees up substantial funds, which can be used, for example, to pay off international loans.
“If you increase the retirement age by five years, the pension amount should rise proportionally,” Kaparzo argues.
Working Conditions
In Uzbekistan, many people work in physically demanding environments—factories, agriculture, and construction sites. These sectors require significant physical effort, and by the age of 55-60, people face health problems that prevent them from working at full capacity.
Raising the retirement age for such workers will not only reduce their quality of life but also lead to a higher incidence of illnesses related to overexertion and stress.
Inadequate Healthcare
In developed countries, where the retirement age has been increased, the healthcare system allows people to lead active lives well into their 70s and 80s, maintaining a high standard of health. However, in Uzbekistan, the healthcare system is not as advanced, and access to quality medical services remains difficult for many. This also exacerbates social inequality—while the wealthy can afford private healthcare, the poor will suffer from declining health.
Why Uzbekistan Cannot Be Compared to Developed Countries
The justification for raising the retirement age often references the experience of Western countries such as Germany, France, and the UK, where the retirement age has already been increased. However, this comparison is flawed for several reasons:
Different Standards of Living: In Europe and North America, people live much better lives. They have access to quality healthcare, balanced nutrition, comfortable working conditions, and, importantly, higher wages. This enables citizens to save enough for retirement and maintain their health for longer.
Social Protection: In Western countries, there is a well-developed social safety net, including health insurance, unemployment benefits, and a wide range of services for the elderly. In Uzbekistan, these programs are still developing, and many retirees lack sufficient support from the state.
Life Expectancy: As mentioned earlier, life expectancy in developed countries is 10-15 years longer than in Uzbekistan. This means that people there can live and work longer while maintaining a high quality of life. In Uzbekistan, where living conditions and health are far from ideal, merely copying such models will only exacerbate social issues.
The issue is not just about the retirement age. Raising it is only one aspect of a broader problem. Before implementing such reforms, the government must first improve other areas: ensure access to quality healthcare, support retraining programs for older workers, improve working conditions, and create more robust social safety nets.
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.