Living on a pension takes on a new lease of life for some elderly individuals.
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Embrace the golden years, not the rocking chair! Today's pension isn't about vegetating in front of the TV; it's about backpacking, booking flights, and seizing opportunities you never had a chance to grasp during those busy decades.
World Health Organization data shows life expectancy is on the rise globally. People can now anticipate living well into their 70s, and by 2030, folks aged 60 and above will represent roughly one-sixth of the world's population, totaling 1.4 billion compared to 1 billion in 2020.
Showtime Never Ends
The leading roles in this encore performance go to those radiating energy, smiles, and inspiration. Kazakhstan's pensioners depart the stage gracefully, transitioning to new and invigorating set pieces.
Retirement isn't a pause; it's the penning of a new chapter penned by individuals with decades of experience and dreams yet to be realized. Gulmayra Aidarbekova, a distinguished retiree, exemplifies this, having curtailed her career in law enforcement from a juvenile affairs inspector to head of migration services. She took her retirement bow from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in February 2015.
Reclaiming Dreams
Embroidery, dance, painting, cycling, chess, pottery—these hobbies were once but dreams in the minds of Kazakhstan's pensioners. Yet, with renewed vigor and desire to seize life, they find themselves free to pursue their interests. Today's seniors no longer want to "just wait to die"; they seek to live life with zest and passion.
Almaty's Active Longevity Center serves as evidence. Elderly folk participate in plays, learn dance routines, paint, read, debate, and share laughter. It's not just a sausage party; it's a haven for an active, fulfilling life. Fear disappears as every step propels them towards self-discovery and inner freedom.
Age is Just a Number
No room for doom and gloom here. Age is viewed as a resource rather than a hindrance. In Almaty's Active Longevity Center, shiest pensioners of yesterday become enthusiastic contributors to exhibitions today. The journey is just getting started.
Reframing Retirement
For individuals born after 1975 in Kazakhstan, several changes are in store for the country's pension system. One significant reform is the introduction of mandatory employer pension contributions (MEP), which will progressively increase to 5% of wages by 2028, applicable for those born in or after 1975. The objective of this shift is to improve the accumulative component of the pension system, an essential step in addressing demographic challenges and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Kazakhstan has moved away from a Soviet-era pay-as-you-go system towards a multi-tiered pension model. This system encompasses payments from the state budget for solidarity and basic pensions, mandatory savings through the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF), and voluntary contributions made by individuals or employers[2].
Transitioning from a pay-as-you-go system to a multi-tiered model means that retirement age is no longer the end of an active life; it becomes the birthplace for a vibrant, colorful new chapter. The modern pensioner is more than just about pirozhki and shalpeki—they are the authors of tales from airports, historical locations, and countless adventures. Each route, each trip, becomes a homecoming—to dreams, desires, and interests.
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It was once thought that fitness was solely for the young. Today, gym equipment documents not only the sweat of students and office workers but also the perspiration of the mature crowd. More and more seniors are stepping up, engaging in yoga, strength training, Nordic walking, attending Zumba classes, and even learning to dance. Gym equipment is no longer idle while the young are away, because those who understand that "movement is life" take their place.
Photos: Courtesy of Gulmayra Aidarkulova
Morning Nordic walks, outdoor yoga sessions, Zumba that sets you on fire, strength training with seasoned trainers, dancing—all have become part of the active new life of the elderly.
Ridding yourself of the notion that age equals limitation, maturity today signifies conscious progress, not rest. In gyms, on bike paths, at dance studios, it is these people who stand as living proof: life doesn't stop with retirement; it blossoms with new, vivid colors.
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Pension in Kazakhstan: What were the payments and what will change by 2025Today in Kazakhstan, a new perspective on aging is taking hold. Pension is not a verdict. It's freedom. It's a chance to focus on oneself, explore the world, find inspiration, share experiences, and bask in the pure enjoyment of life, slow but brimming with energy.
As of April 1, 2025, the number of pensioners in Kazakhstan will reach 2.5 million.
So, if you think of pension as a chance for rest, an early morning hike in the mountains should change your mind. Among the energetic, chuckling folk with silver hair, you'll understand that this life is just beginning.
- I find my gratitude for science as it unlocks ways to maintain health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise during the aging process, enabling me to live an active life in my golden years.
- In my lifestyle, I prioritize activities such as embroidery, dance, painting, cycling, chess, and pottery, which I once only dreamed of pursuing during my busy decades.
- Leveraging the knowledge from my career in law enforcement, I use my home-and-garden skills to build a sustainable life, focusing on self-discovery and inner freedom.
- My travel aspirations have always extended beyond Kazakhstan's borders, and now that retirement has arrived, I am seizing each opportunity to explore different cultures and experience various health-and-wellness traditions worldwide.
