The gender pay gap has increased: Ukrainian women earn 27% less

The average salary of women in Ukraine was 9,007 hryvnias lower than that of men. In the first quarter of 2026, the gender gap reached 27%, whereas before the full-scale invasion it was 18.6%. This is reported by Mind with reference to the State Statistics Service.

Salaries of women and men in the first quarter of 2026

The average nominal salary of regular employees in January-March was 28,885 hryvnias. On average, men earned 33,798 hryvnias, while women earned 24,791 hryvnias. Thus, women's income constituted only 73% of men's.

These data do not mean that every employer pays women 27% less for the same work. The figure compares the average incomes of all employees and depends on positions, sectors, duration of employment, and access to bonuses.

For comparison, the average salary in Ukraine in June reached 32,783 hryvnias. However, the overall growth in income does not eliminate the difference between individual groups of employees.

The largest gap was recorded by the State Statistics Service in the arts, sports, entertainment, and recreation - 47.1%. In financial and insurance activities, it was 38.7%, and in information and telecommunications sectors - 37.8%.

«The art sector suffers the most - this is a 47% difference on average. Next is the finance sector - 39% and technology - 38%», - said Olga Dunebabina, a strategic communications manager at the NGO «La Strada - Ukraine».

In the public sector, the difference does not exceed 6%, which is one of the best indicators. At the same time, inequality is noticeable even at the job search stage: previous studies showed that women's salary expectations are, on average, 10,000 hryvnias lower.

Why has the gender pay gap increased to 27%

One of the reasons remains the distribution of positions. Men are more often in managerial and well-paid positions, while women are significantly more represented in lower-income sectors.

Unpaid household duties and caring for children or other family members also affect earnings. Because of this, it is more difficult for women to work overtime, go on business trips, and choose jobs with bonuses and allowances.

In May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a plan for 2026-2028 aimed at reducing the gender gap. Among the planned changes is the establishment in labor legislation of equal pay for similar or equivalent work, regardless of gender.

By 2030, the state plans to reduce the gap to 13.6%. One of the tools could be pay transparency: in EU countries, mandatory salary disclosure is already being implemented so that employees can notice unjustified inequality earlier.