In Ukraine it’s nearly always the mother who is looking after the kids following a divorce, and fathers pay child support. The same system used to exist in western countries 30 years ago, when mothers were automatically given the custody in case of separation.

How much do Ukrainian father pay in child support?

• On average, the monthly payment of alimony equals 1,976 Ukrainian hryvnia (USD 80) per month, Finance.ua reported. At the same time, the average monthly wage in Ukraine in July 2019 was 10,970 Ukrainian hryvnia (USD 440).

How does the system of alimony work in Ukraine?

There are several options that parents can use to support the offspring financially after the divorce.

• The parents can agree on the sum of payment as they see fit.
• The amount is deducted from the wages of the non-resident parent in accordance with the legislation: 25% of the salary for 1 child, 33% for 2 kids, 50% for 3 or more children.
• The minimum size of alimony paid equals 50% of the official sustenance level for a child; the maximum payment cannot exceed 10 sustenance levels.

In 2019, the following sustenance levels have been allocated for kids:

• Under 6 years old: 1,626 hryvnia ($65)
• 6-17 years old: 2,106 hryvnia ($84)

Thus, the child support for kids under 6 can range from UAH 813 ($33) to UAH 16,260 ($652) per month.

For kids aged 6-17, the minimum payment is UAH 1,053 ($42), the maximum monthly payment could not be higher than UAH 21,060 ($844).

The minimum size of alimony paid equals 50% of the official sustenance level.

Is $80 per month enough to bring up a child in Ukraine?

Ukrainian mothers who take care of kids after the breakdown of a marriage complain that the payments are too low to support kids and believe the minimum amounts should be increased.

If you compare the size of the average wage and the average amount of child support paid, it’s only 18% of the average wage. Clearly, fathers paying alimonies aren’t striving to get a high official salary.

The actual amount paid in alimonies seems to be very close to the minimum payment allowed by law: $65 for kids under 6, $84 for the ones aged 7-17. In all likelihood, fathers could be purposefully finding official employment that will only see him paying the lowest amount possible.

In Ukraine, working without an official contract to avoid paying taxes (and alimonies) is rather typical. The government puts efforts to bring the economy out of the shadows, but improvements are slow.

Experts estimate that 40-46% of the Ukrainian economy operates in the shade. It includes cash payment of salaries, which allows both employers and employees to save on payments to the budget (taxes and contributions).

• According to Transparency International, Ukraine ranks 120 out of 180 countries with the score 32 out of 100.
• For comparison, the USA ranks 22 with the score 71.
• The country with the lowest corruption in the world is Denmark with the score 88. It is followed by New Zealand (87).

Read also:

• Unemployment benefits in Ukraine: How much people are getting paid and for how long?
• Who is getting the kids after the divorce in Russia?
• Why so many young Russian women are divorced?
• In 71% of Ukrainian families, mothers look after kids until the age of 3