In Ukraine, over the past two and a half years, the number of pensioners has decreased by 500 thousand people – in 2024 alone, the number of Ukrainians who retired dropped by 200 thousand.
This information is reported by the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
As of September 2024, there are 10 million 342 thousand people receiving pensions in Ukraine. In comparison, in January 2022, their number was 10 million 841 thousand.
Before the onset of full-scale war, from January 2020 to January 2022, the number of pensioners decreased by 493 thousand people, which means that there were about 20.5 thousand fewer each month. The pace of pensioner reduction during the war has changed only slightly. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. Here are some of them:
- Increased retirement requirements: It is gradually becoming necessary to have 35 years of work experience to retire at 60, whereas in 2017 the requirement was only 25 years.
- Rising mortality rates and the consequences of war. The full-scale war has led to significant population losses and the destruction of entire cities. A decline in income levels and a severe psychological situation also contribute to the increase in mortality.
- Refugees. Although most refugees are young Ukrainians, among the approximately 5 million refugees, there are also pensioners and individuals who were supposed to retire during the war.
25% of Ukrainian pensioners receive about 2760 hryvnias (66 dollars at the current exchange rate). The highest pensions are observed among pensioners from Kyiv, while the lowest payments are recorded in the western regions of the country.