According to Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, due to the demographic crisis in Poland, there is a demand on the labor market for people over 65. – It is often the case with seniors that they want to work, they have great experience at work, they want to contribute something to society. It is not at all the case that people want to retire right away – they want to work, but they feel uncomfortable with the lack of digital competences. Let’s give them this, and they will serve society – both themselves and us – said Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
Retirement age in Poland and average life expectancy
In Poland, women reach retirement age at 60, and men at 65. According to data from the Central Statistical Office for January 2024, a 60-year-old woman has over 254 months of average life expectancy ahead of her, while a 65-year-old man has 210. Data from the Central Statistical Office for 2022 show that women in Poland live almost eight years longer than men (81.1 and 73.4 years, respectively). According to the ZUS report from 2019, creators and teachers receive their pension the longest (on average for about 25 years), and entrepreneurs receive it the shortest (less than 16 years). “Women receive their pension 3.5 years longer than men (in 2011, they received it for 2 years and 2 months longer)” – said the calculations from the “Analysis of the results of the study on pension periods”.
Tusk’s government raises retirement age
After the 2011 elections, in which the Civic Platform won 207 seats in the Sejm and the Polish People’s Party 28, the second PO-PSL government was formed, led by Donald Tusk. In 2012, the Sejm passed the government’s pension reform, raising the retirement age for women and men to 67.
The demand to lower the retirement age to the previous level was one of the main election slogans of Law and Justice in the 2015 campaign. PiS won the election, gaining 235 seats in the Sejm. The regulations restoring the retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men were passed in 2016.
