The Armenian government approved a decision to increase pensions and benefits during its March 5 meeting.

Labor and Social Affairs Minister Arsen Torosyan said that pensions for 623,353 citizens will increase by 10,000 drams or more, while pensions for another 39,594 citizens will rise by about 8,500 drams, Panorama.am reported.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked citizens working and paying taxes in Armenia, including foreign nationals who work in the country and pay taxes.

“The pensions received in April will already include the changes,” Pashinyan said.

Torosyan added that payments will be made at the updated rates starting April 1.

During the same government meeting, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan said that while planning the 2026 budget, authorities calculated that tax revenues in 2025 would exceed earlier projections by 30 billion drams, 1lurer.am reported.

“In addition, the effect of additional economic growth is added, and as a result we expect to have at least 40 billion drams more in tax revenues than planned in the 2026 budget. We also have reserve funds intended to address other issues that may arise during the year. From these two sources we will be able to finance it,” he said.

Responding to the discussion, Prime Minister Pashinyan said the government’s task is to ensure that pensions are not lower than the consumer basket.

He stressed that he was making the statement without lengthy expert discussions, taking into account existing reserves.

“The issue is that our pension should never again be below the consumer basket and will not be. This is a historic change. What I mean is that historic changes have two features: first, when you achieve them, it is very good, but sometimes later, people forget that such achievements must be protected, and they roll back to the previous state.

This applies to everything — peace, the social situation, education, absolutely everything. What has been achieved must be fixed and maintained so that it continues to develop,” he said, thanking government members for the result.

Earlier, Pashinyan said in a Facebook livestream that pensions and benefits in Armenia would increase from April 1, not including cashback payments. He explained the decision by higher-than-expected economic growth in 2025.

“From April 1 pensions will increase. Relatively lower pensions will rise by 10,000 drams, while relatively higher pensions will increase by less. These calculations do not include cashback from non-cash trade, which is calculated separately,” he said.