Will the retirement age increase again? An important meeting took place

This week, economists from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited the Ministry of Finance. According to Money.pl, they were to recommend, among others: reform of the pension system.

Experts recommend raising the retirement age

There have been two proposals in this regard. The first one assumes equalizing the retirement age for women and men, while the second one involves linking the retirement age with life expectancy, which in practice would mean raising it.

The second proposal is a response to the aging world. The data quoted by the website shows that in 1950 only 8 percent people in Europe and North America were 65 years of age and older. Currently, this percentage is almost 20 percent. This is due not only to the demographic crisis and low birth rate, but also to the increasing life expectancy.

Several European countries have introduced a link between the retirement age and life expectancy. This mechanism functions, among others, in Great Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy and neighboring Slovakia, where working people will be able to retire soon after the age of 70.

Data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) show that in 2023 the average life expectancy for men in Poland was 74.7 years, and for women – 82 years.

During their last visit to our country, IMF experts argued that raising the retirement age would mean that “the pension system would be financed to a greater extent by contributions and to a lesser extent by other taxes.” Will the government follow these recommendations? This seems unlikely. Zbigniew Derdziuk, the president of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), recently argued that there are no plans in this regard. Earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk made clear declarations on this matter.

Poles on equalizing the retirement age

Let us recall that Tusk’s previous cabinet carried out a pension reform in 2013, which included, among others, gradual increase and equalization of the retirement age to 67 years. This decision contributed to the decline in the Civic Platform’s ratings and, according to experts, contributed to its loss in the next parliamentary elections. The reform was reversed by the PiS government, restoring the old retirement age – 60 for women and 65 for men.

A SW Research survey for “Wprost” conducted a few months ago shows that nearly half of Poles (46.8%) want to equalize the retirement age for women and men, and 42.5%. is of a different opinion. Every tenth survey participant had no opinion on this matter.