LJUBLJANA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia will gradually raise the retirement age from the current 65 to 67 in an effort to alleviate the financial strain of an aging population, the government announced on Thursday following its regular session.
According to the government's plan, the retirement age will begin to increase in 2028 and will reach 67 by 2035. Individuals with 40 years of employment will still be eligible for early retirement, but not before the age of 62-an increase from the current threshold of 60.
The government emphasized that the reform aims to establish a fair and transparent pension system based on solidarity, while ensuring its long-term financial sustainability.
"The proportion of the population aged over 65 is expected to rise from the current 20 percent to 30 percent over the next 25 years, necessitating changes to the pension system," the government said in a statement.
Eurostat, the European Union's (EU) statistical agency, reported in February that Slovenia's median age increased by 2.7 years between 2014 and 2024-exceeding the EU average rise of 2.2 years over the same period.
Additionally, Slovenia is facing a natural population decline. In March, an average of 44 children were born each day, while 63 people died daily, according to data released Thursday by the country's Statistical Office.
The proposed pension legislation is expected to be approved by parliament in the coming months. ■