Retirement Age In Brazil: Impacts And Challenges For The Efficiency Of The Pension System

This study aims to assess the efficiency of the changes introduced by the 2019 pension reform, focusing on the impacts on the INSS fund and its beneficiaries. Using the classification methodology proposed by Kruger (2023), which systematizes the analysis of public policies in terms of efficiency, equity, and sustainability, the research adopts an explanatory-descriptive approach of an applied nature. The study investigates and describes the implications of the new rules for beneficiaries of the General Social Security Regime (Regime Geral de Previdência Social, RGPS). The results indicate that the requirement of a minimum retirement age and the increase in contribution time aim to improve the financial sustainability of the system, significantly reducing the pension deficit in the long term. However, the impacts are uneven: vulnerable groups, such as informal workers and less developed regions, face greater difficulties in meeting the new requirements. Additionally, the complexity of the rules creates barriers to understanding and accessing benefits. The conclusion highlights that, although the reform has the potential to enhance the efficiency of the RGPS system, its benefits depend on complementary policies that promote the formalization of labor and reduce regional inequalities. Financial sustainability alone is insufficient to ensure a fair and inclusive social security system.