Where do the richest pensioners live: ranking of regions by the amount of payments
22 October 13:26
Despite the unified state pension system, the level of payments for Ukrainians varies significantly by region. In the capital, pensioners receive almost twice as much as in the western regions, where pension payments barely exceed the subsistence level. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to data from Opendatabot.
As of October 2025, the average pension in Ukraine is UAH 6,436 (approximately 133 euros). However, a third of pensioners receive much less – only UAH 3,340 per month, which is equivalent to EUR 69. According to the Pension Fund, there are more than 3.3 million such citizens.
Low payments are a widespread phenomenon
Another 4% of pensioners receive about 2,300 UAH per month, which is less than 50 euros. In total, there are 10.2 million pensioners in Ukraine, and almost one in four of them has to work to survive. Currently, 2.8 million people receive a pension and continue to work, with an average payment of UAH 7,069.
Last year, the number of those receiving up to UAH 3,000 was even higher, but after indexation, some payments increased. Despite this, the level of pensions remains critically low compared to European countries.
Pension amounts in Ukraine
| Pension amount | Number of pensioners | Share of pensions |
|---|---|---|
| over UAH 10 thousand | 1.53 million | 15% |
| 5-10 thousand UAH | 2.97 million | 29,1% |
| 4-5 thousand UAH | 2.09 million | 20,6% |
| 3-4 thousand UAH | 3.22 million | 31,6% |
| 2-3 thousand UAH | 0.37 million | 3,7% |
Approximately 1.5 million Ukrainians have a pension of 15,750 UAH (325 EUR), but this is only 15% of the total number of pensioners.
The largest group is those who live on payments of up to 4,000 hryvnias.
Ukrainian pensions are among the lowest in Europe
Compared to Europe, Ukrainian pensions are among the lowest on the continent.
Pensions in Ukraine are comparable to those in Albania, where the average pension is about 160 euros. For comparison:
- Romania, Bulgaria – 450-550 euros
- Poland, Czech Republic – 800-900 euros
- Germany – more than 1,500 euros.
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Highest and lowest pensions
The highest pensions are paid in Kyiv – UAH 8,848, which is 37% higher than the national average. The lowest are in the western regions:
- Ternopil region – UAH 4,997
- Chernivtsi region – UAH 5,173
- Zakarpattia region – 5,233 UAH
Ukrainian pension in 2025:
- Odesa – 6252
- Kherson – 5473
- Kyiv – 8848
- Zhytomyr – 6182
- Sumy – 5878
- Donetsk – 7912
- Dnipro – 7168
- Kharkiv – 6449
- Luhansk – 7398
- Poltava – 6333
- Zaporizhzhia – 6718
- Chernihiv – 5973
- Rivne – 6036
- Chernivtsi – 5173
- Ivano-Frankivsk – 5529
- Khmelnytsky – 5570
- Lviv – 5885
- Ternopil – 4997
- Transcarpathia – 5233
- Volyn – 5897
- Cherkasy – 5697
- Kirovograd – 5813
- Kyiv – 6791
- Mykolaiv – 6164
- Vinnytsia – 5617
Why retirees continue to work
More than 25% of older people remain in the labor market. For most, this is not a choice, but a forced step: pensions do not cover basic expenses for food, medicine, and utilities.
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