Population ageing coefficient in Moldova is 13.7%

Each fourth pensioner in Moldova is aged between 60 and 64 and about 12.8% of the elderly are older than 80 years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people older than 60 years remained practically unchanged in the last few years. The population ageing coefficient is 13.7%. The main causes of death among old people are the diseases of the circulatory system (70.4% of the number of deaths in this age group), malignant tumors (10.4%) and diseases of the digestive system (7.5%). The annual death rate per 1 000 people aged over 60 is about 60. The men die mostly of tumors, diseases of the respiratory system, accidents, poisoning and traumas, while the women of diseases of the circulatory and digestive systems. Currently, the women older than 60 years live for about 17 years more and the men for about 14 years. The life expectancy of the elderly from urban areas is by about two years longer than of those from rural areas. According to the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, on January 1, 2007 there were 621,400 pensioners or by 3,100 persons more that the year before. Some 73% of the total number of pensioners are old age pensioners. Their number rose by 2,000 compared with the year before. The average old age pension on January 1, 2007 was 457.5 lei, a 15.2% rise on 2006. The real size of the old age pension (adapted to the consumer price index) is 405.9 lei, a 2.2% increase. A number of 491,000 pensioners aged 60 lived in Moldova at the start of this year. Over a half of them (61%) are women.