Budget-2026: what salaries, pensions will grow, and how much will FOPs pay.

According to ТСН: In Ukraine, the preparation of the state budget for 2026 is actively underway. During October, deputies already approved in the first reading the draft law, the main focus of which is on strengthening the defense sector.

Next year, an increase in minimum pensions and salaries for educators and healthcare workers is planned.

Increase in salaries in 2026

The budget project for 2026 provides for an increase in the minimum wage.

From January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Ukraine will be:

• 8,647 UAH per month (currently the minimum wage is 8,000 UAH);

• 52 UAH per hour for hourly work.

In addition, the government plans to raise the minimum wage in 2027 and 2028, with the ultimate goal of reaching at least 10,000 UAH.

The budget project also includes an increase in the living wage starting from January 1, 2026, including for people who have lost their ability to work.

It is expected that from January 1, 2026, the living wage will be:

• overall indicator — 3,209 UAH;

• for working-age individuals — 3,328 UAH;

• for individuals who have lost their ability to work — 2,595 UAH;

• for children under 6 years old — 2,817 UAH;

• for children aged 6 to 18 — 3,512 UAH;

• for working-age individuals, used to determine the basic salary level for judges and prosecutors — 1,600 UAH;

• for individuals who have lost their ability to work, used to determine the allowance for residence in areas of radioactive contamination — 1,600 UAH.

Pensions in 2026

In 2026, an increase in pension payments is expected in Ukraine, related to the increase in the living wage and the minimum wage. Lawyer Ivan Khomych noted that the largest increases will be received by pensioners whose payments depend on the minimum wage, as well as those with full work experience.

The living wage will increase from 2,361 to 2,595 UAH, and the minimum pension will reach the same amount, while the maximum will increase from 23,610 to 25,950 UAH.

The lawyer also noted that the increase in the minimum wage will positively affect the pensions of individuals who have reached 65 years of age and have full work experience.

Minimum pensions for individuals with disabilities will also automatically increase to 2,595 UAH, depending on the disability group.

Teachers' salaries in 2026

The state budget for 2026 provides over 53 billion UAH for increasing teachers' salaries.

From January 1, teachers' salaries will increase by 30%, and from September 1 — by another 20%. The minimum salary of a teacher before mandatory payments will be 25,941 UAH.

To implement a unified salary of three minimum wages for teachers, an additional 14 billion UAH is required, as well as changes in the workload per position.

Deputy Roman Gryshchuk noted that after these changes, all categories of teachers would receive more per hour of work than they do now.

Funding for the healthcare sector in 2026

The draft state budget for 2026 allocates 258 billion UAH for healthcare.

The main areas of funding are salary increases and prevention. The salaries of doctors in primary and emergency care are expected to rise to 35,000 UAH.

Separately, 10 billion UAH is allocated for free preventive health check-ups for individuals aged 40 and over.

Of this amount, the largest part — 191.6 billion UAH — will go to the medical guarantee program, of which 141.9 billion UAH will be reserved for the treatment of military personnel and for complex medical specialties.

Changes for FOPs in 2026

The draft state budget for 2026 provides for several important changes for individual entrepreneurs related to the increase in the minimum wage and living wage.

• for the 1st and 2nd groups of FOPs, the maximum rates of the single tax will increase;

• for the 3rd group of FOPs, the rates will remain unchanged;

• the minimum single social contribution for all groups of FOPs will be 1,902.34 UAH per month.

Annual income limits will also increase, but these changes will take effect only from 2026.

Defense funding in 2026

The proposed budget for 2026 retains the focus on defense. For the security and defense of the state, 2.8 trillion UAH is allocated, of which over 1.9 trillion UAH will go to providing for military personnel.

Among the main innovations is the establishment of a reserve fund of 200 billion UAH to cover additional defense needs throughout the year. For this purpose, the budget includes 60 billion UAH, which are expected to be received from customs reforms.

Expectations for the adoption of the 2026 budget

The state budget for 2026 was approved in the first reading. The Cabinet is completing the preparation of the draft for the second reading, but certain disagreements have arisen among lawmakers. It is predicted that the budget will likely be approved by December 25, as its adoption is an important condition for receiving international financial assistance.

Budget-2026 regulates many social aspects of the lives of Ukrainians, from salaries to pensions. The current changes are designed to support economic stability and provide social guarantees for citizens. The adoption of this budget is also important for receiving external financial assistance, which is especially relevant given the current challenges.