A glance into China’s retirement age from 2025

On 13 September 2024 the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress approved the “Measures of the State Council on Gradually Delaying the Statutory Retirement Age”, effective from 1 January 2025. The Measures provide for a gradual increasing of the statutory retirement age in a period of 15 years: male employees and female employees in white-collar positions, previously retiring at 60 and 55 years old respectively, will see an increase of 1 month for every 4-month period, to reach 63 and 58 in 2040. Female employees in blue-collar position will pass from the current 50 to 55 in 2040, with a raise of 1 month for every 2-months period. For example, a male employee who was supposed to retire on 1 January 2025 will now retire on 1 February 2025 (1 month increase); one who was going to retire on 1 May 2025 will now retire on 1 July 2025 (2 months increase).

Additionally, minimum contribution years to enjoy pension benefits will also gradually increase from 1 January 2030. From 15 years of paid contributions, each year 6 months will be added, until reaching 20 years.

On 31 December 2024 the “Interim Measures for the Implementation of the Flexible Retirement System” Notice was released by three Ministries and the Organization Department of the Party’s Central Committee. The Notice, also in force from 1 January 2025, expands on the provisions for the flexible early and delayed retirement: employees that reached the minimum contribution period and those who reached the legal retirement age can respectively choose to retire early, given that the retirement age is not lower than the pre-2025 thresholds, and to retire later than the legal retirement age.

The attached document includes the related comparison tables, according to gender and job positions, explaining how the statutory retirement age will be progressively delayed. The tables are in Chinese language with an English translation for reference.