Real wages in Ukraine are lower than official figures, according to an expert
The real average monthly wage in Ukraine is less than 20,000 hryvnias. This was stated by an expert commenting on the current situation in the labor market. According to him, official statistics may be inflated due to the inclusion of high payments to military personnel in the calculations. At the same time, in a number of communities, wage levels are significantly lower and often range between 6,000 and 12,000 hryvnias.
Ruslan Chornyi, chief expert on financial sector reform at the Economic Expert Platform, made this statement on the "Ranok.LIVE" program.
"The average salary in Ukraine is heavily skewed by military salaries, including 100,000 hryvnias on the front lines. If we exclude military salaries, the average salary would be well below 20,000 hryvnias across Ukraine," said Chornyi.
According to him, at the local level, Ukrainians’ incomes are actually even lower. Due to the lack of large industrial facilities in many communities, salaries often range between 6,000 and 12,000 hryvnias.
The expert believes that Ukraine lacks high-tech manufacturing facilities that could offer competitive salaries.
"The only way forward is to build factories here that produce high-tech goods, which will stimulate the flow of funds. Against the backdrop of high wages at these enterprises, wages across Ukraine as a whole will rise," said Chornyi.
The State Statistics Service reported that the average salary in Ukraine in April was 30,515 UAH, which is 0.5% higher than in March. The highest average wages were in Kyiv (48,003 UAH) and the Kyiv region (30,584 UAH). The regions with the lowest wages were the Kirovohrad (21,199 UAH) and Chernivtsi (21,687 UAH) regions.
Salaries in Ukraine
Median annual salaries across Ukraine increased by up to 20% compared to April 2025. This figure was recorded in April 2026 in Vinnytsia (27,000 UAH), Khmelnytskyi (27,000 UAH), and Ivano-Frankivsk (30,000 UAH), according to the "OLX Robota" study.
The NBU forecasts wage growth in Ukraine this year of over 11%. A gradual return of migrants is also expected starting in 2027, which could potentially help improve the situation in the labor market.
Ukraine has updated the average wage figures used to calculate pensions.
Pension funding for Ukrainianswas increased in April.
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the May holidays have changed significantly in recent years. Labor Day on May 1 and Victory Day on May 9 are no longer among the most important holidays for most citizens.
