The number of pensioners in Ukraine has fallen by 280,000 over the past year
The number of pensioners in Ukraine has decreased by 280,000 over the past year, yet the average pension still falls short of the basic cost of living. These figures were cited by Danylo Getmantsev, citing statistics from the Pension Fund.
Danylo Getmantsev, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, released new data on Ukraine’s pension system. According to him, over the course of the year, the number of pensioners decreased from 10.33 million to 10.05 million people, or by 280,000. “The figures are striking—a decrease of 280,000,” he noted, commenting on the Pension Fund’s statistics as of April 1.
At the same time, the average pension in Ukraine increased by 895 hryvnias and currently stands at about 7,236 hryvnias. According to the deputy, this represents a 14% increase, which exceeds the inflation rate of 7.9%.
However, despite the nominal increase, the problem of low incomes among pensioners remains. Getmantsev emphasized that international standards call for a pension of at least 40% of the average salary, whereas in Ukraine this figure is significantly lower. “The average salary in February 2026 was 28,321 hryvnias. If we compare this to the average pension, it turns out that pensioners receive only about 26% of the income,” he noted.
He also pointed out that, excluding military pensions, the average pension payment is 6,584 hryvnias, which is below the actual subsistence minimum for non-working individuals, estimated at 7,038 hryvnias.
According to him, about 7 million people receive pensions that do not exceed this level, and another 300,000 people are forced to live on about 2,595 hryvnias or even less. “In other words, the majority of pensioners live below the subsistence level,” Getmantsev stated.
At the same time, he drew attention to significant inequality in the payment system. According to him, certain categories of pensioners receive amounts that are several times higher. “For example, retired judges (of whom there are about 4,000) receive a lifetime pension averaging over 114,000 hryvnias,” the deputy cited as an example. He also noted that certain payments to judges and prosecutors through the courts range from 172,000 to 246,000 hryvnias per month.
According to Getmantsev, such imbalances indicate the need for a profound reform of the pension system, which must be implemented as soon as possible to reduce social inequality and bring payments in line with real economic indicators.
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