The Director of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIOM), Nikola Memov, assured citizens that the pension system cannot collapse since the state legally guarantees pension payments.

'As long as the state exists, pensions will continue to be paid', stated Memov, emphasizing that any shortfall in the fund is covered directly from the state budget.

However, the numbers show a concerning trend. The employee-to-retiree ratio is 1.64 workers per retiree, down from 1.86 in 2016. For 2026, state transfers to the fund are planned at 62.8 billion denars (approximately 1 billion euros).

Of that, around 30 billion denars go toward covering the pension increase of 7,000 denars per month, 13.7 billion for retiree healthcare, and 19.6 billion for transition costs to second-pillar pension companies.

Pensions have seen significant increases - from September 2024 to April 2026 they rose by 7,000 denars per month, with a nominal growth of 36 percent, while minimum pensions increased by 68 percent, from 13,200 to 20,888 denars.