October 1st marks International Day of Older Persons in Belarus

Belarus celebrates International Day of Older Persons on October 1. The President congratulated the golden generation on the occasion. Alexander Lukashenko noted that the wisdom and invaluable experience of the older generation have become the foundation of unity and harmony in society.

Almost 1,628,000 people over 65 years of age live in Belarus, representing almost one in six residents. The majority live in urban areas, and women predominate among the elderly.

More than 41,000 people over 90 years of age live in Belarus. There are approximately 600 centenarians, of whom approximately 90% are women. Minsk traditionally leads the world in the number of centenarians. The capital's oldest female residents are 107 years old.

Support and assistance for the older generation is a priority of state policy. There are 80 social care homes and 146 social service centers in Belarus. They provide care for the elderly and leisure activities, including clubs, hobby groups, and creative workshops. Home social assistance is a popular service. In total, social services cover approximately 190,000 senior citizens.

Marina Artemenko, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus:

"Pension expenditures in Belarus annually amount to approximately 9% of GDP, and in 2025, almost 26 billion rubles will be allocated for pension payments. This year alone, all labor pensions have already been increased twice – by 10% in February and by 5% in September. Today, the labor pension is 980 rubles."

Marina Artemenko, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus

Today, one in five pensioners in our country continues to work – that's 472,000 people, or almost 20% of the total number of pensioners.