Childbirth allowance to be increased to 50,000 hryvnias: new Rada law aims to stimulate birth rate

On November 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that strengthens state support for families with children. The document provides for a significant increase in one-time allowance for the birth of a child — from the current 41,280 hryvnias to 50,000 hryvnias, starting in 2026. The corresponding bill No. 13532 was supported by 294 people's deputies.

As reported by the press service of the parliament, the purpose of the adopted law is to create favorable conditions for increasing the birth rate and combining parenthood with professional activity. The state seeks to expand the system of social support not only during pregnancy and childbirth, but also during child care in the first years of its life.

The new law establishes specific amounts of payments for 2026. In particular, pregnant women who do not have official employment will receive assistance for 70 days before childbirth. A one-time payment at birth will be UAH 50,000, and parents of newborns will be able to count on monthly support of UAH 7,000 during the first year of the child's life.

In addition, the law provides for the introduction of new family support instruments:

the "e-Nursery" program - compensation of up to UAH 8,000 for kindergarten fees or payment of social security contributions for one of the parents caring for the child after a year;
the "e-Kindergarten" program - similar assistance for children aged 3 to 6;
preservation of the state initiative "Baby Package";
introduction of the "Schoolchild Package" - payment of UAH 5,000 for the preparation of first-graders;
additional benefits for families raising children with disabilities.

For those families whose child will not be one year old by January 1, 2026, a transitional mechanism is provided: they will continue to receive current assistance of UAH 860 and an additional UAH 7,000 per month until the child reaches one year of age. After the law is adopted in the second reading, the document must be signed by the President of Ukraine.

At the same time, discussions are underway around the initiative. Some experts question the state's ability to finance increased social payments in wartime conditions and high inflation. Others emphasize that even such steps are only a temporary stimulus and do not solve the deep problems of the demographic crisis.

According to statistics, the birth rate in Ukraine has been rapidly declining for more than a decade. In 2015–2021, the decline ranged from 3% to 11% each year. After the start of the full-scale war, the trend deteriorated sharply: in 2022, the number of newborns decreased by 24.6% compared to the previous year, and in 2023 - by another 33%.

According to the results of 2024, only 176.7 thousand children were born in Ukraine, while the number of deaths reached 495.1 thousand. This means that the natural decrease in the population increased to 318.4 thousand people - 3.1% more than a year earlier. Thus, the adopted law is intended to be the first step of the state towards strengthening social support for families and combating demographic decline.