Asia Pacific

Reports | Articles

Reports

Australia: Accumulating Poverty? Women’s Experiences of Inequality Over the Lifecycle (September 2009)
In this report, the Australian Human Rights Commission analysts reveal the gender gap in retirement savings through the lens of a woman’s lifecycle. This gender gap reflects the gender inequalities in Australia; women disproportionately do unpaid work and also receive lower pay relative to men. Therefore, instead of accumulating wealth through the retirement income system, women are more likely to accumulate poverty. For instance, research indicates that, between 2000 and 2005, single elderly female households have been at the greatest risk of persistent poverty.

Articles

China: Government Officials' Pensions (March 7, 2010)
(Article in Chinese)
Currently, government officials' pensions are double the pensions of private organizations and companies because of the so-called dual pension system. In the following one to two years, the dual pension system will be consolidated into one and the pension difference will be reflected in annual salaries. 

China: The Level of Social Security Planning Raised, Basic Pension May Be Included (March 1, 2010)
(Article in Chinese)
China is going to expand social security coverage. Basic pension reforms are needed to protect unsecured seniors and farmers whose land has been taken over by the government. Reforms of pension systems for those working in commerce and other institutions also need to be considered.

China: First Step for Worry Free Pension for Farmers; Linze County Initiated Rural Area Pension System Pilot Project (March 1, 2010)
(Article in Chinese)
During the past two months in Linze County, 72,100 out of 120,000 rural people signed up for pension insurance; in some areas as much as 76 percent of the population enrolled. All 11,500 seniors eligible for rural basic pensions will receive them.

China: “Gao Ling Senior Pension”: Breakthrough of General Social Welfare? (February 21, 2010)
(Article in Chinese)
“Gao Ling seniors” refers to seniors age 80 and over. Since May 2009, the Ningxia Province government has provided a basic living pension for Gao Ling seniors in rural areas and for those living in the city but found in a low-income family with no stable income. 

China: Rural Pension System Research Aroused by Letter from Senior in Rural Area (January 21, 2010) 
(Article in Chinese)
Over 80% of farmers are willing to sign up for pension insurance. Their expectations focus on whether the central and local governments provide adequate subsidies for individuals.

China: Can Senior Citizens get Pensions from a Non-Resident City More Conveniently? (January 7, 2010) 
(Article in Chinese)
As the aging of society speeds up and more and more seniors are living in cities other than their city of origin, they face the inconvenience of obtaining pensions. The three major problems are high commissions charged by the banks, no detailed record of transactions and no customized service for seniors. 

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Europe and Central Asia

Reports | Articles 

Reports

Europe: Policy Brief: Fiscal and Pension Sustainability: Present and Future Issues in EU Countries (February 2010)
Researchers for this Policy Brief explore pension sustainability in EU countries: what will be the impact of current policy reforms on the future for pension systems and incomes of future retirees? The Brief also examines the financial sustainability of public finances in EU states and the likely evolution of pension incomes in these countries. The authors also look at how the current pension reform responses to economic challenges have reshaped pension systems into a variety of programs that are less redistributive in some cases and more socially protective in others.

United Kingdom: The Aviva Real Retirement Report (February 2010)
In a new report, Aviva, one of Britain’s largest insurance companies, released new information on UK retirees. In 2011, almost 29% of the UK population will be 55 years or older. The report divides this population into three age groups- pre-retirees (55-64 years), retirees (65-74 years), and long-time retired (75 years and older). Within these groups, researchers found poverty is a real issue: 21% of over 55s have an income of £750 or less. Also, while homeownership is high, many have very high mortgages as well. Those with the highest income live in London, Scotland, and South West UK.

Europe: Correcting Gender Inequality in Pensions: The Experience of Five European Countries (September 2009)
It used to be that activists ignored gender inequality in pensions. However, people are increasingly seeking divorces. And non-marital unions pose challenges to the pension system rules. The authors present several approaches that Germany has undertaken, along with Italy, the UK, Sweden and France, to reduce gender inequality in pensions and to guarantee that women obtain adequate pension rights. The nations focus their concern on the idea of a pension system based on individual rights. Some experts suggest adopting universal pensions (which are the same amount for everyone) in order to correct for gender inequality

Articles

France: Retirees' Standard of Living: Some Progress But Not For All (February 23, 2010)
(Article in French)
On February 24, retirees will demonstrate to demand an increase in their pension and health care coverage. Although the standard of living of retirees is better than it was 30 years ago, many live just above the poverty line. The major French unions are calling for an increase in the annual pension, it has been based on inflation rather than on salary since 1993. 

France: Pensions, Preconceived Notions and Real Issues (February 16, 2010)
(Article in French)
In this article, the author reviews the preconceived notions and challenges of retirement and pensions. Most European governments tend either to increase working hours or reduce pensions. Thus, in France, the contribution's length has been extended and the calculation base changed over the past few years. And yet, pension funds are still in deficit.

Europe: Recession Encourages European States to Reform Pensions (February 9, 2010)
(Article in French)
Because of the economic crisis, many European countries are planning to change their pension systems. In fact, most governments started to make changes before the crisis, but the recession has sped up the process. Among the measures being considered are increasing the legal retirement age and rethinking the allocation between public and private pensions.

Belarus: Increase in Pension Age. Who Needs That? (February 8, 2010)
(Article in Russian)
Women of Belarus retire at the age of 55, men at age 60. The numbers of people eligible for physical work are decreasing while the numbers of retirees are as high as ever.The situation of the Belarus pension fund is becoming critical. If nothing is done, by the year 2050, for every 100 physically active workers there will be 90 workers who are over the retirement age. Therefore nine out of ten workers will not be eligible to work. Experts insist that one of the ways to prevent this from happening is to increase the retirement age for both men and women.

United Kingdom: How to Tackle Pensioner Poverty (January 28, 2010)
Although there has been a formidable decline in the number of pensioners living in poverty in the last ten years, there are still 2 million penurious pensioners. The government's system of 'means-tested benefits' is not effectively relieving the pensioned aged from their plight. The benefits are complicated and have not been easily accessed by some. A critical look at the means-tested system is necessary to abate the poverty of pensioners.

United Kingdom: Retirement Age Should be Scrapped (January 28, 2010)
A report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests that the retirement age should be abolished. Employment policies should address the issues of aging working Britons and should increase working opportunities beyond the default retirement age. Workers of pension age contribute not only to the quality of the workforce and to their employers but also to the economy.

United Kingdom: Inequality Figures Show Why Plaid’s Pension Policy Is Desperately Needed 
(January 27, 2010)
Plaid Cymru suggests a proper universal living pension policy that will dramatically aid the most suffering pensioners. Citing a report by the National Equality Panel, Cymru criticises both Labour and Conservative governments for widening the gap between rich and poor and devising pension plan policies that are blind to the realities for hard working people.

Kazakhstan: Retirees are Making a Choice (January 20, 2010)
(Article in Russian)
The pension system in Kazakhstan is very insecure. Those retirees who rely on the regular national pension fund can run out of their pension if they reach the age of 80 or even earlier. However, nowadays there is an alternative for retirees to transfer their money from their NPF (National Pension Fund) into the Government Annuity Corporation if they have more than 2 million tenges (~$13, 500) in their NPF. The advantage of NAC is that older people don’t have to wait until they retire to receive their pensions; their returns are much higher; they can receive them all their life and can specify who in their family receives the remainder of the money after their death. The only disadvantage is the risk associated with this investment. 

Russia: What Part of Income Does the Pension Have to be to Qualify as Decent? (January 13, 2010)
(Article in Russian)
According to the International Organization of Labor, the minimum pension has to be more than 40% of the average income in the country. However, in Russia this amount is about 22-23%, which is quite low. Moreover, the average income in Russia does not correspond to the average price level in the country. A decent pension level should be more than 50-60% of the average income. Pensions should be enough not just for common monthly expenses, but also for cultural eventsn and trips. Whether pensions in Russia will attain this level depends on oil prices in the near future and the commitment of the government. 

Russia: To Grow Until Age One Hundred (January 13, 2010)
(Article in Russian) 
There is a heated debate in the Lower House of Parliament whether the government needs to increase the retirement age. The speaker of the Lower House, Boris Gryslov, is against the Department of Finance's decision to raise the retirement age because the average life expectancy in Russia is lower than it is in most developed countries. In Russia it's 55 years for women and 60 for men. One suggestion is to increase the retirement age for women because women tend to have a much higher life expectancy than men. The government needs to consider this decision because pension expenses outweigh pension fund reserves. 

Ukraine: Yanukovich Promising to Increase Pensions in Ukraine (January 11, 2010)
(Article in Russian)
Currently the average pension per month in Ukraine is 130 dollars and a minimum pension is 79 dollars, which is very low by European standards. Moreover, a significant part of the pensions has not been paid to retirees since November 1. The government passed a new reform that will increase pensions, yet it's not clear whether the reform will take place with a new presidential administration. In this article, the prospective new president Victor Yanukovich promises to increase the average pension up to 250 dollars, a minimum pension up to 150 dollars, and pay the amount to retirees that they had not received by the end of the last year.

France: French People are Pessimistic About their Retirement (January 9, 2010) 
(Article in French) 
While French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared retirement reform to be one of his priorities in 2010, French citizens are pessimistic about their chance to have a good pension. Some 68% think they will have to work until they are 65 years old to be able to retire. More than one-third of the people interviewed assume that they will have to work even after age 65. 

Lithuania: The Order of Pension Reception in Lithuania Might Exacerbate the Country's Criminal Situation. (January 7, 2010)
(Article in Russian)
A recent change in delivering pensions to older citizens worries Lithuanian authorities. The new pension policy, introduced in Lithuania on January 1, has not only created many complications for all the pension recipients, but has the potential of increasing criminal activity in Lithuania. As stated by Algirdas Butkevicius, leader of the oppositional parliamentary faction of the Social Democrats, “The number of robberies aimed at the pension recipients might increase. Older pension recipients living in rural areas are at the highest risk because they would not be able to get immediate help in case of an occurrence of this situation.”

France: Rhodia Launches a Part-Time 'Grand-Parental Leave' (January 4, 2010)
(Article in French)
Rhodia, leads France with its brand new “grand-parental leave.” This agreement allows every senior (with or without grandchildren) to switch to part-time work (down to 80% of work commitments) in exchange for working longer (the amount of time they took off). Thanks to this accommodation, Rhodia hopes to increase its employment rate for people of 60 years and over. Moreover, the company encourages tutoring between young and old workers: seniors pass their knowledge on to the young workers who in turn help the older ones with new technologies and foreign languages.

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Middle East & North Africa

Tunisia: From Now On in Tunisia, the Minimum Salary is 225 Dinars (August 3, 2009)
(Article in French)
In a statement published on Monday, the Tunisian Prime Minister declared that retirement pensions would increase as well as the SMIG (Minimum and Guaranteed Salary). Moreover, the State has decided to allocate 10 more dinars for old or disabled people so that they reach 170 dinars quarterly. Those measures went into force August 1, 2009. 

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Global

Report: World: A Discussion of Retirement Income Security for Men and Women (December 30, 2009)
This report, written by Annika Sundén, is a sample chapter from a book called Women's Work and Pensions: What is Good, What is Best? The author explores the difficulties women face in working life and in retirement - and what could be done to achieve more gender equality and fairness for women and men alike. Leading pension experts, predominantly women, from Europe analyze the basic challenges through single and comparative country studies. Find more details about this publication on the book page here.

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