Ukrainians were shown the real poverty line

Income below UAH 10,979 means being below the poverty line - the Ministry of Social Policy

According to Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, if the person's income is less than UAH 10,979 per month, which means that it is below the poverty line by actual living conditions in the country at the beginning of the year 2026.

What does this limit mean

The actual subsistence minimum is an estimate of the real the cost of «survival» based on current prices for food, medicine, utilities and basic needs. If the income is below this amount, people often have to save for:

• medicines and treatment,

• good nutrition,

• paying utility bills,

• other basic expenses.

Pensioners at risk

Pensioners remain a particularly vulnerable category: more than 53% Receive pension payments up to UAH 5,000, This is well below the poverty line set by the Ministry of Social Policy. This means that more than half of pensioners do not have enough money even for basic needs. (source: local channels)

Context.

The official subsistence level used to calculate social benefits and government programmes is significantly lower than the actual cost of living. This exacerbates the problem of poverty and leads to an increase in the number of people for whom even basic survival becomes a challenge.