Despite the fact that some Ukrainians have begun to receive their pensions twice a month, this in no way indicates that pensioners are “getting richer.”
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The average pension in Ukraine still remains one of the lowest in Europe, writes “On Retirement.”
Thus, according to the Opendatabot service, a Ukrainian pensioner receives an average of about 133 euros – one of the lowest levels in Europe.
At the same time, pensions in neighboring countries are as follows:
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- Albania – approximately 160 euros,
- Bulgaria and Romania – 450−550 euros,
- Poland and the Czech Republic — 800−900 euros.
Economists point out that one of the main reasons for this gap is the large share of the shadow economy. Many workers officially receive the minimum wage, while the real payment is much higher. As a result, people accumulate insurance experience, but their future pensions remain minimal.
If we evaluate pensions in national currency, then the average pension, according to the PFU, is about 6.5 thousand UAH, and for working pensioners – a little more than 7 thousand UAH.
Although these amounts exceed the official subsistence minimum for the disabled (UAH 2,361), they fall short of the actual subsistence minimum, which in June was UAH 7,091. As a result, more than half of pensioners who receive less than UAH 5,000 live below the real minimum.
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It is clear that the situation needs to be corrected. And the government has announced that they are preparing to increase the minimum wage and are also going to index pensions.
In particular, the draft state budget for 2026 provides for the allocation of UAH 1,027 billion for pension payments — UAH 123 billion more than in 2025. This is about 19% of all budget expenditures. At the same time, the minimum pension is to increase by UAH 234 — from UAH 2,361 to UAH 2,595 (approximately +9%). Of course, this is unlikely to really correct the situation.
The government also provided for indexation from March 1, 2026. Its size is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers each year separately. For example, in 2025, indexation was 11.5%. The general indexation formula remains unchanged: 50% increase in the average salary + 50% of the inflation rate.
That is, the steps proposed by the Cabinet of Ministers are unlikely to improve the situation. For real improvement to occur, it is necessary to start fighting corruption and abolish unrealistically high payments to judges and prosecutors. But are those in power ready for this? The question is probably quite rhetorical, so we should not expect any radical changes yet.
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Previously, “FACTS” wrote about what the minimum pension will be in December and how its size can be increased.
