---
title: "Uklon: average driver age has increased by six months, while the share of 60+ partners grew by 22% in a year"
description: "Uklon has released data on the aging of its driver base: the average driver age has increased by six months, the share of 60+ partners has grown by 22% in a year, and the share of female drivers has reached 4%. The company explains the shifts through migration and market changes following the opening of the borders."
date: 2026-09-01T10:04:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/uklon-driver-base-aging-60-plus-share-up-22-percent
tags: [uklon, ride-hailing, ukraine, gig-economy, driver-demographics, taxi-platform]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Uklon: average driver age has increased by six months, while the share of 60+ partners grew by 22% in a year

![Woman in a business suit against a backdrop of an Uklon car and cityscape, illustrating the growth of drivers over 60 in the service](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/uklon-starenie-voditeley-dolya-60-plus-vyrosla-na-22/uklon-starenie-voditeley-dolya-60-plus-vyrosla-na-22-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The average age of Uklon drivers has increased by six months over the past year, while the share of 60+ partners has grown by 22% compared to November 2025
- The share of female drivers on the platform has risen from 0.5% to approximately 4% over two years; the "Women" class was launched in four cities in March 2025
- All Uklon drivers are independent partners, not in-house employees; owning a personal car is not required, and more than 1,000 partner vehicle fleets are available
- The company does not directly link changes in the driver base to mobilisation, explaining them instead through internal migration and the opening of the borders for men up to 22 years old after September 2025

The Uklon taxi platform has released data on structural changes in its driver base during the period of the full-scale war. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Uklon's Chief Ride-hailing Officer, Olena Orlova, revealed key metrics: the average age of drivers has risen by six months over the past year, while the share of partners aged 60+ has increased by 22% compared to November 2025. The company emphasises that all drivers are independent partners rather than in-house employees, and that they independently determine their working schedule and volume of work.

### Independent partners instead of staff

Orlova stressed that Uklon is a platform where both riders and drivers are equally users. Drivers independently decide when and how to complete trips, influenced by weather, shelling, seasonality and other factors. The company identifies three cohorts of partners: those for whom driving is a main profession; small-business owners and people with part-time employment, for whom Uklon is additional income; and drivers who complete no more than 20–30 trips per month, who view the platform more as a way to make their own trips cheaper. Notably, a recent internal study showed that a significant share of "main" drivers consider themselves Uklon employees, even though legally they are not. The company interprets this as an indicator of the strength of its brand.

### Aging driver base and migration factors

Over the past year, the average age of Uklon drivers has increased by six months, while the share of 60+ partners has grown by 22% compared to November 2025. Orlova links this to the overall rise in demand for work among older generations and to changes in the market structure after September 2025, when the borders were opened for men aged up to 22 (inclusive) to leave the country. At the same time, the company explicitly refuses to attribute changes in the number of male drivers to mobilisation: "We cannot say that mobilisation has affected the number of male drivers on the platform, since we are recording year-on-year growth in the number of active driver-partners." The growth is explained by internal migration — the movement of people from eastern and southern regions to north-western areas, as well as relocation from small settlements to large cities, where Uklon performs the function of "unemployment cushioning."

### Women behind the wheel: from 0.5% to 4%

Two years ago, the share of female partners in the service was only 0.5%, whereas by now this figure has risen to approximately 4%. To encourage the recruitment of women, the company has launched a number of measures: an increased bonus in the referral programme, special value propositions in the DriverUp loyalty programme, and a reduced commission for active female drivers. In March 2025, the "Women" class was launched — a separate fare tier in which female drivers serve female passengers. At the time the interview was published, the class is available in four Ukrainian cities and is positioned as a "new level of comfort," while for drivers it represents an additional earning opportunity and the ability to tailor orders to their preferences.

### Working conditions: vehicle fleet, leasing and curfew

Owning a personal car is not a requirement for working with Uklon. The platform works with more than 1,000 partner vehicle fleets, some of which offer cars for rent. A driver can find a suitable fleet independently or through the service's website. Uklon also actively supports the development of vehicle fleets and the renewal of their vehicles through preferential leasing. As for working during curfew, fare formation and driver earnings levels, Orlova, in her interview with RBC-Ukraine, framed these topics as part of a broader discussion of the platform's basic terms; however, specific figures on income and the fare grid were not disclosed in the provided excerpt.

### Contradictory data

In the interview, Orlova states that mobilisation has not had a direct impact on the number of male drivers, supporting this claim with the assertion of "year-on-year growth in active partners." However, in the same material the company points to structural shifts — the aging of the base and the growth of the 60+ share — which are indirectly linked to the departure of men of conscription and older age to the front or abroad. Thus, the position that "mobilisation has not had an impact" and the observation of a demographic shift toward older age may be perceived as contradictory: formally the number of partners is growing, but the qualitative composition is changing. Moreover, in open sources (NGDU, RBC) the issue of the tax obligations of Uklon and Uber drivers is being discussed in parallel, creating additional context: some partners may be moving into the "grey" zone or reducing their activity due to fiscal pressure, which potentially affects the statistics the company publishes. The exact figures for the 22% growth and the 4% share of women are self-reported Uklon metrics and have not been confirmed by an independent audit.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Share of drivers aged 60+ in Ukraine has grown by 22%: interview with Uklon](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/chastka-vodiyiv-vikom-60-ukrayini-zrosla-1788249314.html) - Основной источник: прямое интервью Елены Орловой. Подтверждает рост доли 60+ на 22%, увеличение среднего возраста на 6 месяцев, долю женщин 4%, запуск класса «Женский» в марте 2025, 1000+ автопарков.
- [Uklon and Uber drivers must pay taxes: Tax Office names the condition](https://www.unian.net/economics/finance/nalogi-v-ukraine-v-nalogovoy-obyasnili-pochemu-voditeli-uklon-i-uber-dolzhny-platit-nalogi-13233618.html) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает обсуждение налоговых обязательств водителей платформ. Не противоречит основной статье, но добавляет фискальный контекст.
- [Serhiy Hryshko, CEO of Uklon: "Only a driver who knows the Ukrainian language can be a Uklon partner"](https://delo.ua/ru/transport/sergei-griskov-seo-uklon-partnerom-uklon-mozet-byt-tolko-voditel-so-znaniem-ukrainskogo-yazyka-429748/) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает статус Uklon как платформы с партнёрской моделью. Не противоречит интервью Орловой.
- [Uklon and Uber taxi drivers must pay income taxes, says Tax Office head](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/taksisti-uklon-ta-uber-mayut-platiti-podatki-1766397481.html) - Основной источник: прямое интервью Елены Орловой. Подтверждает рост доли 60+ на 22%, увеличение среднего возраста на 6 месяцев, долю женщин 4%, запуск класса «Женский» в марте 2025, 1000+ автопарков.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Are Uklon drivers in-house employees of the company?
**A:** No. All Uklon drivers are independent partners who independently decide when and how many orders to complete. Legally they are not company employees, although an internal study showed that a significant share of "main" drivers consider themselves Uklon employees.

### Q: By how much has the share of drivers over 60 grown in Uklon?
**A:** According to company data presented in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, the share of driver-partners aged 60+ has increased by 22% compared to November 2025, while the average age of all drivers has risen by six months over the past year.

### Q: Is it mandatory to own a personal car to work with Uklon?
**A:** No. Uklon cooperates with more than 1,000 partner vehicle fleets, some of which offer cars for rent. A driver can find a fleet independently or through the service's website. The company also supports fleets through preferential leasing.

### Q: What is the "Women" class in Uklon and where is it available?
**A:** The "Women" class is a separate fare tier launched in March 2025, in which female drivers serve female passengers. At the time the interview was published, the class is available in four Ukrainian cities.

### Q: Does Uklon link changes in the driver base to mobilisation?
**A:** The company explicitly states that it cannot assert a direct impact of mobilisation on the number of male drivers, since it records year-on-year growth in active partners. The structural shifts are explained by internal migration, relocation from small towns, and the opening of the borders for men up to 22 years old after September 2025.