Macedonia is facing serious demographic and health challenges, according to the latest report of the State Audit Office (SAO), presented by General State Auditor Maksim Acevski.
According to the data, there is a continuous decline in the young and working-age population, resulting in a situation in which the number of pensioners already exceeds the number of employees. This trend raises questions about the sustainability of the pension system and emphasizes the need for systemic reforms, as well as the development of care and nursing services for the elderly population.
Demographic trends are negative. The average age increased from 32.3 years in 2000 to 41.8 years in 2024. The participation of people over 65 is growing, while the young population is shrinking, mainly due to emigration. A decrease in the number of students and high school graduates in relation to the number of children born has been noted.
According to the State Statistics Office (SSO) projections, people over 65 will make up over a third of the population by 2055, the number of people over 80 will go up several times, and the working-age population will go down by approx. 470,000 people. This will further increase fiscal pressure, with budget transfers for pensions potentially reaching 7.4% of GDP.
