Southern regions lag behind in terms of pensions: where the situation is worst

In southern Ukraine, pensioners receive payments that are lower than the national average.

As reported on the Opendatabot platform, as of the end of 2024, the average pension in Ukraine amounted to UAH 5,789, which is 7.5% more than in 2023. However, this increase did not cover the rise in inflation, which reached 12% last year, effectively negating any positive changes in payments.

What pensions do residents of the southern regions receive?

Average pension payments to pensioners in the southern regions are as follows:

• Odesa region - UAH 5,628
• Mykolaiv region - UAH 5,548
• Kherson region - 4,968 UAH

These amounts are lower than the national average of UAH 5,816. The lowest payments are received by pensioners in Kherson region, where the average pension is 14% lower than the national average.

Infographic by Opendatabot

How has the number of pensioners changed?

Today, there are 10.34 million pensioners in Ukraine. Over the three years of the full-scale war, their number has decreased by 497.5 thousand people, which is comparable to the losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The largest outflows were recorded in the frontline and occupied regions, where people were forced to leave their homes.

Pension gap: poor and rich pensioners

About 26% of Ukrainian pensioners (2.68 million people) receive less than UAH 3,000. The average amount of such a pension is UAH 2,759. At the same time, 12% of pensioners (1.26 million people) receive more than UAH 10,000, with an average of UAH 15,379. It is noteworthy that this category has decreased by 51.5 thousand people in three months.

It is worth mentioning working pensioners, who make up 27% of the population. On average, they receive UAH 6,302 per month, which is slightly higher than the general level, but it also does not compensate for the losses from rising prices.

Where are the highest pensions?

As before, Kyiv pensioners receive the highest payments - UAH 8,017, which is 38% higher than the average pension in Ukraine. The lowest pensions are in Ternopil region (UAH 4,484), which is 23% less than the national average.

The decline in pensions was particularly pronounced in two regions of Ukraine. In Rivne region, the average payment decreased by 24% (to UAH 5,159), and in Zhytomyr region - by 10%.

Ірина Глухова