By 2050, Kazakhstan's population could reach 26.5 million, making it increasingly difficult for the state to support pensioners. Therefore, citizens need to prepare for old age in advance, reports infohub.kz.
According to demographic forecasts from the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF), the country's population will continue to grow. However, the age structure will also change: life expectancy is expected to rise, while birth rates decline, leading to a larger share of elderly citizens. For instance, from 2021 to 2025, the life expectancy of Kazakhstani citizens increased from 70.23 to 75.97 years.
Currently, people aged 65 and older make up 9.6% of the population. According to UAPF and UN projections, by 2050, the share of citizens aged 60 and above will rise to 18.8%. As a result, there will be only 3.42 working-age individuals for every person over 65. For comparison, in 2012 this ratio was 7.68, and in 2025 it is 4.95.
The UAPF emphasizes that amid demographic changes, the role of the funded pension system is growing. In simple terms, in the future, citizens' pension income will depend more on their personal savings than on state payments. Kazakhstani citizens are advised to build their own pension capital in advance to become less dependent on the demographic situation and budget capabilities.
To do this, citizens can: work officially and regularly pay pension contributions; make voluntary pension contributions; and independently influence the investment strategy of their savings – this option will become available on September 7, 2026. Earlier, the UAPF also explained why it is important to save for retirement and not spend savings on improving housing conditions in youth.