Number of elderly people grows in Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek, Sept. 30, 2025. /Kabar/. According to data from the beginning of 2025, the proportion of people aged 65 and over in Kyrgyzstan was 6% (440,000 people), National Statistics Committee told Kabar.

At the beginning of 2024, this figure was 5.7% (407,900 people). The National Statistics Committee explained that the increase is due to the fact that the large generation born in the 1950s and 1960s is retiring, and the number of citizens leaving working age is increasing annually.

According to the UN classification, if the proportion of people aged 65 and over is less than 4%, the population is considered "young." Between 4% and 7%, the country is "on the threshold of aging." According to UN projections, by 2030, the proportion of elderly people in Kyrgyzstan will approach 7%.

As of September 1, 2025, the total number of pensioners in the country reached 813,538, of which 642,959 citizens receive an old-age pension.

Nazgul Cholumova, representative of the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration, told on Birinchi Radio that, according to the Law "On Elderly Citizens," women are considered elderly from age 58 and men from age 63.

Today, out of a population of more than 7 million, over 400,000 people are over 65. According to the UN scale, these citizens are considered elderly. However, our law covers a larger number of people – from 58 and 63 years old. Moreover, many at this age are able to work. Currently, 769,000 people receive pensions through the Social Fund, and about 2,000 people receive social benefits through the Ministry of Labor, she noted.