The number of pensioners in Moldova will increase by 30% until 2016, demographer Valeriu Sainsus said in the program “Place for dialogue” on the public station Radio Moldova, IPN reports.

According to the demographer, the number of pensioners will rise to 750,000 so that the fiscal pressure on the working population could increase, especially given that the current pensioning system is not appropriate.

Valeriu Sainsus believes that the situation can be improved by balancing out the retirement age of men and women. “It’s not normal for women to retire five years earlier than men at a time when the life expectancy for women is higher than that for men. The women, who are often imposed to retire, remain practically without a source of livelihood. The retirement age of 57 for women should be kept only for those who gave birth to more than three children. For all the other women, it should be increased,” said the demographer.

On the other hand, Olga Gagauz, director of the Center for Demographical Research, noted that raising the retirement age implies risks because statistics show that the largest part of the population older than 55 is very ill. “We could reduce the number of pensioners by increasing the retirement age, but a new category will thus appear – of people classed as unable to work because of poor health. I think that we must first ensure medical services of a high quality for the population,” she said.

Olga Gagauz also said that the birth rate in Moldova diminishes owing mainly to the poor living conditions and to migration. “Of the 40,000 Moldovan children born last year, 10% were born abroad,” she stated.

In Moldova, life expectancy for men is 68 years, while for women is 70.