Armenia’s population is ageing fast, with the number of pensioners increasing

Hovhannes Sahakyan, Head of the State Social Security Service claims that Armenia is tuning into an ageing population.

The country’s demographics indicate that the number of pensioners will increase on average by 2 500 people within the next seven years.

There are a total of 446 249 pensioners currently in Armenia.

According to the UN Population Fund, Armenia has come closer to reaching the threshold of an ageing population. The Fund predicts that the country will soon go beyond that threshold: people aged 65 and over are expected to make up about 22-23% of the country’s total population by 2050.

“The key factors contributing to the country becoming an ageing population are a decline in fertility rates and a high level of migration. It has obviously had an impact because we know that a negative balance of about 40 000 people (negative net balance of arrivals and departures) could be observed in the country annually. If we take the past decade, we have lost about half a million people. The reason is that, in terms of natural growth, we are on the far end of the spectrum [in regards to the difference between fertility and mortality rates],” explained Garik Hayrapetyan, Executive Representative of the UNFPA Yerevan Office.

The expert believes that solving the problem depends entirely on a policy that the Armenian government is going to pursue in order to overcome these challenges.

In 2009, the government adopted the Strategy of the Demographic Policy of the Republic of Armenia and its Action Plan. A policy aimed to facilitate and promote fertility is now being developed in the country. The government intends to encourage parents to have a third and fourth child.