Russian Cabinet to Debate Raising Retirement Age in 2018 - Deputy PM

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said that the government does not consider increasing the retirement age until the 2018 period.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian government will not consider raising the retirement age until 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said Friday.

The current retirement age in the country is 55 years for women and 60 years for men.

"We do not yet anticipate increasing the retirement age and are not considering this measure until the 2018 period for which we have assigned this strategy," Golodets told the Rossiya-24 broadcaster.

The official attributed the 11-year gap in life expectancy for men and women in the country (65 and 76 years respectively) to lifestyle choices and general attitudes to personal health. She said such an age gap represented a "serious signal to all of us."

"That is why we will have to work hard before addressing the issue of raising the retirement age," Golodets said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed opposition to increasing the retirement age in the short-term, underscoring that current retirees should not be affected if a decision is made on this matter.