{"id":129497,"date":"2025-03-11T12:53:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/129497\/"},"modified":"2025-03-11T12:53:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:53:09","slug":"belarus-delayed-retirement-seen-as-gamble-on-elderly-lives","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/129497\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus’ “Delayed Retirement” seen as gamble on elderly lives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The new program offers workers the option to retire later in exchange for a substantially higher pension.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n (Plato Terentev \/ pexels.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Demographic trap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Belarus’ population is aging, birth rates are declining, and large numbers of young professionals are leaving the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the economy, this means higher wages driven by labor shortages, a lack of skilled workers and increasing pressure on the government to fulfill its social obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Social Security Fund, which manages pension payments, is in deficit as the number of retirees rises, while the shrinking workforce\u2014the source of taxes that fund retirement benefits\u2014continues to dwindle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delayed Retirement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The political crisis of 2020 sparked mass emigration, with hundreds of thousands leaving, including young professionals and families with children. As they no longer pay taxes in Belarus, they no longer contribute to the pension system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, officials have attempted to alleviate the situation by raising the retirement age, introducing additional insurance programs and implementing a co-financing scheme involving both workers and employers. One such initiative, called “Delayed Retirement,” allows workers to retire later in exchange for a higher pension. The increase in pension benefits depends on how long the worker delays their retirement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n