January 2026: New Salaries, Pension Changes and VAT on Electric Vehicles in Ukraine

Changes in Ukraine in January 2026

According to ХВИЛЯ: In January 2026, significant changes will take place in Ukraine that will affect various social and economic aspects of life. In particular, the following is planned:

• return of VAT on electric vehicles;
• increase in the minimum wage;
• new payment systems for families with newborns;
• medical programs;
• changes in pension service requirements;
• new customs control format;
• renaming of alcoholic beverages;
• predictions about rising food prices.

Main Innovations

VAT on electric cars: end of the preferential period. From January 1, 2026, a 20% VAT on electric vehicles will be reinstated in Ukraine, which will likely affect prices and demand for these vehicles.

Salaries are rising: minimum wage and educators. The minimum wage in Ukraine will increase to 8,647 hryvnias, and the overall subsistence minimum will rise from 2,920 to 3,209 hryvnias. Additionally, the salaries of educators will increase by 2.5 times, and the minimum salary for a teacher will be 21,617 hryvnias.

50 thousand for a child: new payment system. Parents of newborns will be able to receive 50 thousand hryvnias immediately after the birth of the child. Pregnant women without official employment will also receive 7 thousand hryvnias before the child's birth.

Free medicine: screening and vaccination. Free vaccination of girls aged 12-13 against the human papillomavirus has been introduced in Ukraine. Comprehensive screenings for citizens over 40 are also planned, with 2,000 hryvnias automatically allocated for medical examinations.

Pension service: requirements are increasing. Starting January 1, 2026, one more year of service will be required to retire, which may impact many Ukrainians' plans for retirement.

Customs in train cars: control without stops. The launch of a new customs control format in train cars on the routes Kyiv – Przemyśl and Kyiv – Chełm is planned, which is expected to simplify transportation procedures.

Goodbye, cognac and champagne: renaming of alcohol. As part of the innovations, alcoholic beverages will be renamed: 'brandy' instead of 'cognac' and 'sparkling wine' instead of 'champagne'.

Food prices are rising: forecast for January. Economic analysts predict that the prices of meat and dairy products will increase by 5-7% in January 2026, which may affect family budgets and consumer habits.

Currency: stability guaranteed. The record currency reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine amount to 54.7 billion dollars, indicating a certain stability in the country's financial system amidst the planned changes.

Thus, January 2026 promises to be an important month for Ukrainians regarding the planned social and economic changes that will impact various aspects of life.

These changes may significantly affect the well-being of the population, especially in the context of rising minimum wages and new payments for parents. However, the return of VAT on electric vehicles and the projected rise in food prices may create new challenges for consumers. Therefore, Ukrainians should be ready to adapt their financial plans and habits under the new conditions.