Ukraine Publishes Official Salary Figures of Top Ministers

In Ukraine, the prime minister’s salary is lower than some IT specialists – but there’s more to it.

On Monday, the Ukrainian government published official salary figures of its top ministers in April. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal received Hr.77,404 ($1,969), approximately $2,446 before tax.

In comparison, IT specialists in Ukraine make a median salary of $2,630, as per a Kyiv Post report from December, citing a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded research.

How are the ministers’ salaries calculated?

The official figures released on Monday considered other compensations and taxes. In Shmyhal’s case, he received an official salary of Hr.48,077 ($1,223) plus the same amount for business travel – which is calculated based on his daily wages, as per the labor code of Ukraine.

However, the final figure deducted a personal income tax of Hr.17,307 ($440), and a military levy of Hr.1,442 hryvnias ($36).

Here are the final salaries of some of the top officials in April – after compensations and deductions – outlined in Monday’s report:

• Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko: Hr.72,207 ($1,836)
• Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna: Hr.80,842 ($2,056)
• Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk: Hr.96,155 ($2,446)
• Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov: Hr.77,404 ($1,969)
• Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov: Hr.96,155 ($2,446)
• Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleh Nemchinov: Hr.72,196 ($1,836)
• First Deputy State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers Kostyantyn Maryevich: Hr.82,357 ($2,095)
• State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleksandr Yarema: Hr.110,128 ($2,801)
• Deputy State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Voytovych: Hr.99,735 ($2,537)

Of the ones listed, Yarema and Voytovych also received an “allowance for work with secret documents” and those issued based on rank and seniority.

Compared to their Western counterparts

Ukrainian ministers’ salaries are far lower compared to their Western counterparts.

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Compared to Shmyhal, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak receives £80,807 ($101,455) per year for his role as prime minister, which is roughly $8,454 per month before taxes – this figure does not include his salary as a member of parliament (MP) and other incomes.

Shmyhal’s official salary is also lower than a typical British civil servant, who has a median salary of £31,920 ($40,076) per year according to the British government – which is approximately $3,339 per month before taxes, compared to Shmyhal’s $2,446 per month.

In Poland, the prime minister makes 20,500 złoty ($5,131) a month before tax, as reported by Polish media.

Other sources of income

Being a minister in Ukraine might not come with a hefty paycheck, but some ministers’ experience in the private sector prior to entering politics has also provided them with some form of financial security.

While Shmyhal listed no side incomes in his assets declaration, his wife reportedly earned more than Hr.7 million ($198,673) last year through business activities – a hefty sum for the working class, but a modest sum for those with their own business. Of note is also Shmyhal’s background – before entering politics in the late 2000s, he was the director of multiple companies. 

As for the Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko, she also declared an additional income of Hr.851,668 ($21,666) from the Kyiv School of Economics, at which she has been a Professor of Practice.

Of note is how she also declared a rental income of Hr.120,000 ($3,052) and Hr.380,704 ($9,667) of “other payment for daughter’s education” from her now ex-husband throughout 2023.

Meanwhile, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, whose political career started only in 2019 after years of experience as head of multiple limited liability companies (LLCs), has reported an additional income of Hr.1.3 million ($33,238) generated through his bank assets in his declaration in 2023 – slightly higher than his annual salary of Hr.974,528 ($24,747) last year.