Bishkek, Oct. 1, 2025. /Kabar/. Every year on October 1, the world celebrates the International Day of Older Persons, a date adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1990. This day aims to draw public attention to the important issues facing older people and to recognize their importance in our lives.
In 2025, special attention will be paid to the role of older persons in building sustainable and equitable societies. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted: "This year's theme reminds us that older persons are effective agents of change. Their voices must be heard in shaping policies, ending age discrimination, and building inclusive societies."
On this day, the National Statistical Committee presents up-to-date data on older persons in Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing their important value to society.
In Kyrgyzstan, the number of people beyond working age is growing every year. This is due to the retirement of members of the larger generation born in the 1960s, which outnumbers previous generations. Over the past five years, the number of elderly citizens in the country has increased by more than 140,000, or 25%.
At the beginning of 2025, there were 702,000 people of working age in Kyrgyzstan, accounting for 10% of the total population. Of these, 230,000 were men over 63 (6% of the male population), and 472,000 were women over 58 (13% of the female population).
Women predominate in this age group: they outnumber men by 242,000, or 2.1 times. This is explained by the fact that women live, on average, longer than men (76.6 years versus 68.4 years) and retire five years earlier than men (58 versus 63).
According to the UN classification, if the proportion of people aged 65 and over is less than 4% of the total population, the population is considered young; if the proportion is between 4 and 7%, the population is on the threshold of aging. Over 7% are considered old.
As of early 2025, the proportion of citizens aged 65 and over in Kyrgyzstan was 6% (more than 440,000 people), placing the population on the threshold of aging. By comparison, this figure is higher in some CIS countries: Azerbaijan (10%), Kazakhstan (9%), and Russia and Belarus (17%).
According to UN forecasts, by 2030, the aging trend in Kyrgyzstan will become more pronounced: the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over will approach 7%.
At the end of 2024, 846,000 pensioners were registered with the Social Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic and other government agencies, of which more than 652,000, or 77%, were recipients of old-age pensions.
As of October 1, 2025, there are approximately 818,700 pensioners in the country. Following indexation, the average pension amounted to 11,226 soms.
Pension spending exceeded 86% of the Social Fund's total expenditure in 2024.
Thus, the International Day of Older Persons serves as a reminder of the importance of active societal engagement in addressing pressing issues and maintaining due attention to the older generation.