The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recommended that Tajikistan consider gradually raising the retirement age for women from 58 to 63, or introducing a unified retirement age of 65 for both men and women.
The proposals are outlined in the bank’s report Economic Transformation for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Tajikistan, published in October 2026.
Women in Tajikistan currently retire at 58, while men retire at 63. The ADB describes the proposed changes as long-term measures aimed at improving the sustainability of the country’s pension system.
One reason for the recommendations is rising life expectancy. According to the report, it increased from 68.4 years in 2010 to 76.6 years in 2024. Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy envisages raising life expectancy to 80 years by 2030 — 78 years for men and 82 years for women.
Women retire five years earlier than men and, on average, live longer. This means they generally contribute to the pension system for fewer years while receiving pension payments for longer.
The ADB also proposes considering an increase in the minimum contribution period required for pension eligibility: from 25 to 30 years for men and from 20 to 30 years for women.
The bank says any changes should be assessed for their potential impact on employment, the financial sustainability of the pension system and citizens’ social welfare.
Pensions remain low compared with wages
In 2024, the average old-age pension in Tajikistan was 475.8 somoni, compared with an average monthly wage of 2,148.9 somoni. The pension therefore amounted to 22.1% of the average wage, up from 18.4% in 2023.
The average social old-age pension was lower, at 334.9 somoni in 2024.
The ADB recommends improving the mechanisms for adjusting pensions in line with inflation and the cost of living, as well as establishing indicators to assess whether pension payments are adequate.
From September 1, 2026, pensions in Tajikistan were increased by at least 15%. According to the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions, the average labor pension subsequently reached 741.31 somoni, the insurance pension 591.06 somoni and the social pension 412.60 somoni.
Only a third of the working-age population is covered
In 2024, around 2.1 million people were registered in Tajikistan’s pension insurance system, equivalent to approximately one-third of the working-age population. However, registration does not necessarily mean that all of them regularly pay contributions.
Social tax receipts totaled 2.96 billion somoni in 2025, representing 19.3% of the estimated 15.3 billion somoni that registered insured persons could have contributed under the assumptions used in the report’s calculations.
The ADB attributes the gap partly to informal employment, irregular contributions and inaccuracies in registration data.
To address these problems, the bank recommends improving the registration of insured persons and information-sharing between government agencies, while expanding pension insurance coverage among self-employed people and workers in the informal sector.
Digital records and pension funding reforms
Tajikistan has both insurance and social pensions. Insurance pensions depend on contributions made during a person’s working life, while social pensions are provided to citizens who do not meet the eligibility requirements for an insurance pension.
The system is financed primarily through social tax payments by employers, employees and individual entrepreneurs.
Although individual pension accounts are used to record contributions, citizens do not always have access to complete information about their payments and expected future pensions. The ADB recommends expanding digital record-keeping, improving data exchange between government agencies and ensuring that citizens can access information about their pension contributions.
The bank also proposes gradually transferring the financing of social pensions to the state budget under a multi-year plan, reducing the burden on the social insurance system.
Another proposed measure is to develop voluntary pension savings by establishing a regulatory framework for non-state pension funds, including licensing requirements, investment rules and government oversight.
The report also calls for better pension fund management, broader insurance coverage and greater transparency in the recording of contributions and payments.