Gradual Increase in Retirement Age Proposed in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan plans to gradually raise the minimum retirement age.

On 10 September, Murodbek Atadjanov, Executive Director of the off-budget Pension Fund under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, stated that the proposal envisions increasing the retirement age for men from 60 to 63 and for women from 55 to 58. The increase would be implemented in stages, with a six-month rise each year, according to Spot.

Atadjanov noted that in many countries, the minimum retirement age exceeds 65, while in Uzbekistan it has remained unchanged since the adoption of the “Law on State Pension Provision for Citizens” in 1993. He emphasized that Uzbekistan is among the few countries where the retirement age has not yet been adjusted.

He also highlighted the rise in life expectancy in Uzbekistan, which, according to the Ministry of Health, averages 75 years. Whereas retirees previously lived on average 8–9 years after retirement, today this figure reaches 12.5 years for men and 20 years for women.

At the same time, Atadjanov stressed that a final decision on raising the retirement age has not yet been made. A special platform will be created to collect public proposals over one month. After analyzing the submissions, the reform project will be refined and presented for discussion with participation from journalists and bloggers.

He did not rule out a more gradual option: raising the retirement age by three months per year, which would increase it by one year over four years, stretching the full reform to 12 years under this scenario.

Previously, in July last year, the Strategic Reforms Agency reported that only 38% of the population is covered by the pension system due to the high share of informal employment. Although pension contribution rates in Uzbekistan (12–25%) are relatively high, payouts remain at a moderate level. The agency studied ways to make the country’s pension system adequate and sustainable.

By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to establish private pension funds, according to Atadjanov. The pension reform concept includes a dedicated section addressing this issue.

He explained that the Pension Fund, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Central Bank, and National Agency for Advanced Projects will develop the regulatory framework for such funds by 2027–2028, with the funds themselves to be established over the following two years.

Atadjanov emphasized that this process requires particular caution. “Without a reliable regulatory framework, someone could collect funds and disappear, and we wouldn’t be able to recover them. Therefore, during the first two years, we will focus exclusively on developing the legislative and regulatory foundation,” he explained.