As of September 2024, the economy employed 298.5 thousand Kazakhstanis over working age — an increase of 92.7 thousand compared to the same period in 2022, reports inbusiness.kz citing Ranking.kz.
These figures come from the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The majority of these workers — 39.9%, or 119 thousand individuals — were employed in agriculture. One-fifth of working retirees were engaged in trade, while 16.2% worked in education and healthcare sectors.
Statistics indicate that the number of working elderly Kazakhstanis has increased across all sectors of the economy over the past two years. The difference lies in the dynamics. For instance, in construction, public administration, and the financial sector, the number of working retirees has tripled, while in transportation and logistics, trade, and social sectors, it has doubled.
The largest age group of working elderly citizens consists of those who have just retired and have not yet reached 65 years of age. The smallest group includes individuals over 85 years old. More than 700 Kazakhstanis in this advanced age continued to work in 2023 — a notable increase from three years prior, as analysts from Ranking point out that there were none in this category in Kazakhstan at that time.
According to reports from the NSB, over half (59.1%) of all workers aged 65 and older as of September last year were unskilled laborers. This group totaled 69.3 thousand individuals. Most of them were engaged in unskilled labor on farms — including herders, shepherds, and milkers. Additionally, 7.6 thousand retirees worked as cleaners or in other service roles. Over the two years, the number of such workers surged 22 times — from 339 to 7.6 thousand individuals. The number of street vendors over 65 increased 13 times — from 395 to 5.2 thousand individuals. The count of unskilled waste collectors rose by 79.1%, reaching 3.7 thousand individuals. What circumstances, besides a lack of money for food and medicine, have compelled all these people in their age to work as domestic help or cleaners?
NSB data also reveals the following trends. Over the past two years, the number of specialists aged 65 and older in healthcare and education has sharply declined. Those who could still serve as mentors for the younger generation and continue their intellectual work have become significantly fewer. However, there has been a notable increase in elderly professional specialists entering business and administration. More than 8 thousand working retirees are currently in the labor market. Interestingly, officials themselves are also willing to continue working after turning 65. Two years ago, there were only 58 working senior executives, legislators, and civil servants in the country. By September 2024, their number had increased to 423.
Recall that in November last year, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan, Svetlana Jakupova, discussed a proposal from certain experts to introduce the concept of delayed retirement. The idea suggests that a retiree who has reached retirement age but does not wish to retire will not receive a solidarity pension until they cease working.
This proposal sparked vigorous discussions in online communities and criticism from experts, prompting Minister Jakupova to state that her words were "taken out of context" and that "no one intends to encroach on the pensions of working retirees today."
Ranking clarifies that the discussion was exclusively about the payment of a solidarity pension, which is only available to those Kazakhstanis who accrued work experience during the Soviet era.
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With the increase in life expectancy in Kazakhstan, the Active Longevity Index (ALI) has also risen. This indicator, developed by the WHO, comprises 22 specific indicators in areas such as employment, community participation, safety, etc. Essentially, it measures the percentage to which the socio-economic conditions in the country allow elderly individuals to live their old age in the best possible health, safety, and employment. In Kazakhstan, this assessment was conducted in 2020, 2022, and 2023 by NSB specialists with technical support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
The index ranges from 0% to 100%, where the maximum value indicates the fullest realization of potential for active longevity. Based on data from the past three years, the ALI in Kazakhstan has been gradually increasing. If in 2020 the potential for active longevity in the country was realized at 29.6%, by 2023 it had risen to 32.1%. There has been an increase in employment rates among the elderly and improvements in the indicators for "Independent, healthy, and safe living."
However, compared to European countries, Kazakhstan still lags behind in terms of active longevity levels. For example, in Switzerland, the ALI in 2023 was 45.8%, in the Netherlands — 42.9%, and in Germany — 40.7%. Kazakhstan's lag is evident across all major indicators.
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Here are some intriguing data published by the NSB regarding the subjective assessment of their material well-being by elderly Kazakhstanis. According to the results of household surveys, statisticians concluded that 77.1% of respondents aged 60 and older in 2023 considered themselves part of the middle class. This is a few percentage points higher than in 2019. Another 17% of respondents in this age group noted that their financial situation was above average, while 3.2% described themselves as relatively wealthy individuals. Only 0.1% of those surveyed identified as poor.
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