KIEV, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian parliament approved pension reforms on Tuesday aimed at easing pressure from a pensions deficit of more than $5 billion while also raising the minimum pension.

“We’re taking a historic decision to establish a fair pension system,” Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said ahead of the vote.

Last week, a senior World Bank official said the bank and the International Monetary Fund were concerned about the hundreds of amendments that have been added to the draft pensions legislation since July, many submitted by populist factions in parliament. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Matthias Williams, Larry King)