Pensioners in Kosovo face space constraints for activities, , lack of health insurance, and low pensions, regardless of their contributions to the country.
Remzi Dragidella is an economist, but since he retired seven years ago, he has found companionship primarily through playing cards and chess at one of the elderly centres in the capital Prishtina.
“In the West, they say, ‘Life begins after 60,’ here we hope to make it that far,” he told Prishtina Insight, as he taught a fellow peer how to play chess at the elderly centre in the capital’s Tophane neighbourhood.
“Our biggest struggle is financial well-being,” he added, saying that with few activities for pensioners to do “we come here to share our worries, have some coffee.”
Prishtina has four day care centres for the elderly where citizens from the capital and other surrounding municipalities gather to chat, play chess or cards, and drink tea. The municipality also offers a free meal to pensioners.
The day-care centre in Prishtina’s Tophane neighborhood is one of the four designated spaces in the capital for this age group, which remain open until 4:00 PM. The most frequented open spaces for them are public parks, with very few activities to spend their newly gained free time.
Hana Berisha, head of the Women’s Association in Prishtina, which organises activities, workshops, and excursions for elderly women, expressed her concerns about the state of the old generation in Kosovo.
Berisha, who worked in the administration of a construction company in Prishtina, now keeps herself occupied running the Women’s Association to pass the days.
“We can’t wait to come here—talk, chat, work with beads, we even have sewing machines,” she said, explaining that the visitors range from former professors to housewives.
Disappointed by the lack of facilities and spaces for citizens of her age, she added that they also feel lonely at home.
“There are no more grandchildren around—they’re in daycare, and we are left on our own,” she continued.
“A government that disregards pensioners forgets that one day they too will reach this stage,” she added. “Hopefully, things will improve for you, as for us, it’s already done.”
According to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, in the 2024 census, the population aged 65 and over in Kosovo reached 173,875, compared to 116,000 in the 2011 census.
Pension amounts “laughable enough to bring one to tears”
Hana Berisha. Photo: BIRN
Until October 2024, basic pensions and categorised pensions ranged from 100 to 265 euros. In October 2025, the government announced a 20 percent increase in pensions for the elderly. Following this adjustment, the basic age pension is set at 120 euros per month, while the contributory pension ranges from 218 to 318 euros per month.
Tahire Berisha-Abazi from Ferizaj/Urosevac, who retired in February 2025 from her profession as a professor at the economic high school, says that as an elderly woman, she has very few options for spending her free time in a suitable environment.
“Unplanned construction, poorly developed roads, narrow and concrete-filled spaces suffocate not only us, the elderly, but all residents,” she said, emphasising her love for nature.
“Aside from the public squares, which are insufficient, the elderly have nowhere to go for short outings or brief gatherings with friends,” she added.
She also noted that now, when they finally have time to travel and explore, they lack the financial means to do so.
“Many activities, excursions, and trips we postponed due to lack of time while working, we thought we could finally do after retirement. But the pensions provided by the government are laughable—enough to bring one to tears.”
“Salaries were never enough to cover medical expenses, let alone pensions.”
The political scientist at the NGO Democracy Plus, Selatin Kllokoqi, stated that creating spaces for activities for the elderly should be a concern for both local and central institutions.
According to him, the pension system urgently needs to be reformed.
“The current basic and contributory pensions are insufficient for a peaceful old age, let alone for travel or other activities. The current pension system in Kosovo, with over 20 different pension schemes, is merely a survival system that drains large sums of money but fails to provide pensions adequate for a dignified life in retirement.”
Kllokoqi also emphasised that opening more offices for pensioner registration would ease the process, which has been repeatedly criticised.
“Political representatives who should be advocating for these groups have remained silent in their positions, with only a few exceptions among MPs. Politics must take action and reform the pension system entirely if they truly aim to improve the well-being of pensioners,” he said, adding, “One day, they too will grow old.”
Until 2024, pensioners in Kosovo were required to present themselves every six months to prove they were alive to continue receiving their pensions.
Many Activities a ‘Forbidden Fruit’ for Pensioners
A park in Prishtina with the chess board painted on the table, one of the few places pensioners can have outdoor activities. Photo: BIRN
Fehmi Kasabaqi, 72, who was spending his day at the daycare centre in the Aktash neighbourhood of the capital, said that even after retiring, he continued working as a shoemaker but noted that there is no longer any work, even for those with skilled trades.
“I could have worked for who knows how many more years because my eyesight is still good. I repaired shoes for over 30 years, but now no one comes to fix them anymore, so I had to stop. I come here almost every day since I live nearby—it’s great that we at least have this place. It’s unfortunate that other municipalities don’t have something similar because people come here from Fushë Kosova/Kosova Polje, Obilic, and sometimes even from farther away,” Kasabaqi said.
Osman Vitia, from the Prishtina Pensioners’ Union and a former educator with 43 years of service, described the situation for pensioners across the country as dire.
“Many activities and events for pensioners are a ‘forbidden fruit.’ In summer, they may step outside their doors, but beyond that, no one takes care of them,” he said.
According to him, financial stability determines not only a pensioner’s authority but also their dignity at home.
“If you can’t even afford your medication, what kind of authority do you have? Everything is tied to financial security—even at home, they don’t feel valued.”
He also noted that most pensioners are unable to protest or demand change due to their age and health conditions.
Meanwhile, Teuta Zherka from Prishtina, who worked as an economist at the Kosovo Tax Administration and has been retired for three years, says that considering the difficulties young people face in finding employment, she considers good conditions for pensioners a ‘luxury.’
“I miss my profession, but I stay active and spend a lot of time in nature. We must engage ourselves, not surrender. We take care of our grandchildren. Most people have a village home—they should make use of it!”
According to the Law on Pension Funds in Kosovo, the pension system is divided into three pillars. The first is the basic pension, which is paid by the government to all permanent residents aged 65 and older, including those who contributed to the former Kosovo Pension Fund before January 1, 1999. The second consists of individual savings pensions, managed by the Kosovo Pension Savings Trust, which requires both employees and employers to contribute 5 percent of the salary each. And lastly, there is a supplementary employer pension fund, which operates as a voluntary scheme for citizens.