May 2026 government salaries revealed: Shmyhal takes home nearly 129,000 hryvnias.

Top Ukrainian government officials' paychecks for May 2026

According to Novyny.live: In May 2026, salaries for Ukraine's cabinet ministers ranged from 109,000 to 128,000 hryvnias. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal earned the highest amount, receiving 128,933 hryvnias after taxes (with a gross income of 167,445 hryvnias before deductions).

According to official salary data from the Cabinet of Ministers, First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko took home 109,097 hryvnias (141,685 hryvnias before tax). The same net figure was also paid to:

• Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksii Kuleba
• Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka
• Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy Tetiana Berezhna

Additionally, Cabinet of Ministers State Secretary Kostiantyn Mariievych received 101,249 hryvnias. All these salaries far outstripped Ukraine's average wage, which stood at 28,885 hryvnias at the start of 2026. For context, the average salary across the country at the end of 2025 was 28,337 hryvnias. This means top officials earned roughly four and a half times more than the typical Ukrainian worker.

Social equity and fiscal accountability under scrutiny

These figures highlight a stark gap between government pay and national income levels, raising pressing questions about fairness amid Ukraine's ongoing economic challenges.

When public officials' salaries significantly exceed average earnings, it can fuel public resentment, especially during periods of economic hardship.

This situation underscores the urgent need for transparent debate on social justice and the government's financial responsibility to its citizens—a debate that could shape Ukraine's political stability in the months ahead.