The minimum wage in Ukraine has increased since January 1: new amounts and what has changed
1 January 07:53
Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has officially raised the minimum wage and the subsistence minimum. The law “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026”, which came into force on January 1, provides for the relevant norms, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
New minimum wage in 2026
From now on, the minimum wage will be UAH 8,647 per month. Before that, it was UAH 8,000. Thus, the minimum wage has increased by almost UAH 650.
The hourly minimum wage has also been increased from UAH 48 to UAH 52 per hour.
The cost of living has also increased
Along with the minimum wage, the government raised the overall subsistence level. From January 1, 2026, it will be UAH 3,209 instead of UAH 2,920.
The subsistence minimum for certain social groups is set at the following level
- children under 6 years old – UAH 2,817;
- children from 6 to 18 years old – UAH 3,512;
- able-bodied persons – UAH 3,328;
- persons who have lost their ability to work – UAH 2,595;
- a separate indicator for persons who have lost their ability to work and live in areas of radioactive contamination (by court decision) – UAH 1,600.
Special rules for civil servants and judges
The Law also stipulates that in 2026 the subsistence minimum used to determine
- the basic salary of judges;
- salary of prosecutors of the district prosecutor’s office;
- remuneration of employees of state bodies, tax and customs services,
- remains at the level established for the respective body as of December 31, 2025.
Social assistance to low-income families
In 2026, the following percentages of the subsistence minimum for the purpose of granting state social assistance to low-income families were determined
- for able-bodied persons – 60%;
- for persons who have lost their ability to work and persons with disabilities – 100%;
- for children – 145% of the respective subsistence minimum.
Benefits for meals in kindergartens remain unchanged
At the same time, the law stipulates that the level of the subsistence minimum for exemption from paying for meals for children in state and municipal preschool education institutions will not increase in 2026.
Thus, starting from January 1, 2026, Ukrainians received an increase in the minimum wage and updated social standards that will affect their income, social benefits and state guarantees throughout the year.
