Russia will not need to consider raising the retirement age until at least 2015, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday.
"In my opinion, there is no need to raise the retirement age in the country. In five, ten or fifteen years, then we will look at the situation in the country," Putin said during a visit to the Central Tver region.
The premier added that the retirement age should have a direct correlation to life expectancy.
The retirement age in Russia is much lower than in other European countries. The majority of men are entitled to retire at 60 and women at 55. Miners, lumberjacks, pilots, cosmonauts as well as a dozen other specialists are entitled to retire earlier still.
However, given that the average life expectancy for Russian men is about 63 years, raising the retirement age would mean that many of them would not live to receive it if it was raised.
Neighboring Ukraine, which has a similar demographic profile but significant budgetary problems, has said it will raise the pension age in the near future, under pressure from the IMF.
TVER (Moscow region), May 30 (RIA Novosti)
