Iraqi lawmaker says parliament preparing to raise public-sector retirement age to 63

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A member of Iraq's parliament said legislation is being prepared to raise the mandatory retirement age for public-sector employees from 60 to 63, reversing a 2019 reduction. Ibtisam al-Hilali, a lawmaker from the State of Law Coalition, said the amendment is being drafted under the Unified Retirement Law and has been submitted to the Council of Ministers' presidency, with the aim of placing it on the agenda of upcoming sessions. Under the proposed change, the optional retirement age for employees with 15 or more years of service would remain at 50. The move comes alongside earlier proposals submitted by parliament's Finance Committee aimed at retaining professional experience within state institutions. In 2019, Iraq's parliament unanimously approved an amendment that lowered the retirement age from 63 to 60, a decision that drew broad public debate at the time. No further details on the draft's timing or parliamentary schedule were immediately available.