One Million Hryvnias: How Much Must Officials Earn to Avoid Corruption

After the corruption scandal at «Energoatom», involving former ministers Herman Halushchenko and Svitlana Hrynchuk, the debate about the real salaries of top officials has flared up again. Current salaries do not eliminate the temptation to seek «additional income», while society does not understand how much a minister should honestly earn. This is what writes “hromadske”.

Salaries of Officials in Ukraine: How Much and Who Gets Paid

Former Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk received about 122,000 UAH «net» in October, while the average salary in the country is 26,600 UAH. Yuliia Svyrydenko declared about 100,000 UAH per month, Denys Shmyhal - about 97,000 UAH, but with substantial additional family income.

Economists remind us: people at this level in business earn several times more. The financial director of a large industrial group can earn 140-180 thousand dollars a year, while CEOs can earn up to 300-540 thousand dollars.

Hlib Vishlinsky believes that during wartime, the market salary for top officials could reach 200-300 thousand UAH per month «net», so that the state can competitively attract talent. Pavlo Kukhta talks about at least 5 thousand dollars, while Hanna Vakhtova mentions about 10-20 thousand dollars for ministers and heads of large state enterprises.

• without decent pay, weak personnel come

• too low wages push people into the shadows

• society does not accept «million-dollar» salaries against the backdrop of poverty

• a balance between the market and public perception is needed.

At the same time, Danylo Hetmantsev and Ruslan Stefanchuk promote the idea of a ceiling at 80 thousand UAH for the salaries of civil servants (excluding the defense sector). Critics call this populism, which only fuels the belief that «at the top, they still steal».

Salaries of Politicians in Europe and the World

In Poland, the president and prime minister earn about 4.8-4.9 thousand euros per month, which is roughly twice the average salary in the country. In Germany, the chancellor earns over 30 thousand euros per month, ministers earn 20-25 thousand euros, and Bundestag deputies earn almost 12 thousand euros. In the EU, the rates are even higher: European commissioners receive up to 25 thousand euros, and the president of the European Commission earns about 28 thousand euros per month.

In Ukraine, the average salary of civil servants of central government bodies is 62.6 thousand UAH, with expenses for the apparatus amounting to about 150 billion UAH per year (3% of the 2026 budget). Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky officially receives only 28 thousand UAH per month and can afford such «volunteer» compensation due to previous income from business.

Employment expert Vitaliy Serhiyovych Belenets warns: 

“If salaries in the public sector remain too low, only either very wealthy individuals or those who expect to supplement their income through unofficial means will go into politics. Market-based, but transparent salaries for top officials are considered one of the key conditions for reducing corruption”.

Earlier, we reported on the updated salaries of top officials in Ukraine at a record 116 thousand UAH.