Kyrgyzstan has reached the threshold of demographic aging according to UN criteria

The demographic picture in Kyrgyzstan is gradually changing. Until recently, it seemed that the republic remained one of the “youngest” countries in the region, but statistics suggest otherwise. By the beginning of 2025, the proportion of citizens over 65 had reached 6%. According to the UN's international classification, this means that the country has officially entered the threshold of old age.

The share of the working-age population in the total population is declining, from 57% in 2020 to 56.7% in 2024. The reason is simple: the small generations of the early 2000s, when the birth rate in Kyrgyzstan fell sharply, are entering working age.

The demographic burden ratio is growing, averaging 765 dependents per thousand workers. In the Batken region, the burden is even higher—905 people, in Jalal-Abad—882, and in Osh—875. Only Bishkek stands out with a relatively “young” profile — 512 people per thousand workers.

Pensioners already make up 9.6% of the country's population, and two-thirds of them are women, almost 472,000. This is because women live longer than men and retire five years earlier.

At the same time, Kyrgyzstan still looks “young” compared to other CIS countries. In Azerbaijan, the elderly make up 9.9% of the population, in Kazakhstan — 8.8%, in Russia — 17.1%, and in Belarus — 17.2%. In other words, according to the UN classification, all of our neighbors have moved into the category of “aged populations” (author's note: this is when the proportion of people aged 65 and older exceeds 7%).

According to UN projections, the proportion of elderly Kyrgyzstanis will reach 7% by 2030.