Women in Croatia Must Be 64 Years and 3 Months to Retire in 2027
New rules starting 1 January 2027 raise the regular retirement age for women by three months, with further increases planned until full equalisation with men in 2030.
Illustration: AI-generated image
Women in Croatia will need to be three months older to claim a regular old-age pension from 1 January 2027, according to data from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) reported by Index.
The required age for a regular pension will rise from 64 years to 64 years and three months, while the minimum pensionable service remains 15 years. The change is part of a gradual alignment of retirement conditions for men and women.
For early retirement, the bar also moves by three months. From next year, women will need to be at least 59 years and three months old, and have 34 years and three months of pensionable service, compared with 59 years and 34 years in 2026.
The age limit will keep rising each year. Women will need to be 64 years and six months in 2028, and 64 years and nine months in 2029. From 1 January 2030, conditions will be fully equalised: both women and men will need to be 65 with at least 15 years of service for a regular pension, while early retirement will require age 60 and 35 years of service.
Taking an early pension means a permanently lower initial amount. The pension is reduced by 0.2 percent for each month of early departure, up to a maximum of 12 percent for five years. However, from the start of 2026, the reduction is cancelled once the person reaches the age of 70.
Long-term insured individuals can still retire earlier under a separate rule. Those with 41 years of actual insurance service can claim a regular pension at age 60, regardless of gender.
Women who have already met the conditions for a pension under earlier regulations will not lose that right simply because the age limit increases next year, the institute confirmed.
