The retirement age in Ukraine will effectively rise – Libanova
Ella Libanova spoke about this in an interview with the CES.
According to Libanova, the general trend is that people will work for longer. She suggested that this could mean up to the age of 70, and possibly even 90.
At the same time, as the demographer noted, there will most likely be no direct increase in the retirement age in Ukraine. According to her, the same effect can be achieved by raising the required length of insurance contributions.
Libanova added that this process would not be enforced. However, in her view, Ukrainians should already be preparing for the fact that, not de jure but de facto, people will work longer.
Why will people work longer?
As the demographer explained, this is linked not only to necessity but also to changes in the labour market. According to her, knowledge, qualifications and the ability to perform non-physical tasks are playing an increasingly important role in the economy, which is why older workers can remain competitive.
She also emphasised that older people will work longer partly because some of them want to and are able to. Against this backdrop, she said, the de facto increase in the retirement age is already taking place.
Separately, Libanova drew attention to the European experience. She noted that the so-called ‘silver economy’ is actively developing in Europe, which involves engaging older people in economic activity.
According to her, population ageing is not just a problem for Ukraine, and European countries are already looking for ways to involve as many older people as possible in the workforce.
On 10 March, Gleb Vyshlinsky, Executive Director of the Centre for Economic Strategy, reported that due to demographic losses, the war and labour migration, an increasing number of people in Ukraine will be forced to work until the age of 70–75, as pension payments may not be sufficient to live on. He also emphasised that the state is already facing high premature mortality rates among men, and the full-scale war has only exacerbated this trend.
Earlier, Ella Libanova reported that Ukraine’s losses due to the war amount to 10 million people. According to her, this figure includes not only irreplaceable losses but also the number of those who have emigrated.
As a reminder, pensioners aged 80 and over are eligible for a pension supplement of 1,038 hryvnias, but only if several conditions are met simultaneously. The key criterion for such an increase is a medical certificate confirming the need for constant external care.
