How Ukrainians assess their financial situation and what the National Bank declares
Only 1% of Ukrainian citizens have the opportunity not to deny themselves anything.
A survey of the population regarding the assessment of their financial situation was conducted publication ZN.UA together with the Razumkov Center revealed alarming results. According to the survey, about 10% of Ukrainians do not have enough money even for food.
According to the survey, almost half of the respondents (48%) said that their income is only enough for food and clothing, and they need to save money to buy more expensive things such as household appliances. About a third of the respondents (32%) noted that they can only afford food, and buying clothes already causes difficulties. 9% of respondents admitted that they have problems even with purchasing food. Only 7.4% of respondents indicated that their financial situation allows them to meet all basic needs, and for very expensive purchases, such as a car, additional savings are required. Less than 1% of respondents said they could buy whatever they wanted without any restrictions.
“We understand that Ukrainians are not inclined to brag about their incomes, but the fact that 9% of families do not have enough money even for food, and 32% can only afford food, is a very sad result.”, – noted the author of the article.
The National Bank of Ukraine presents a different picture of the financial situation of the population. According to their data, real incomes of citizens have increased significantly. In the first quarter of 2024, the average salary increased by 22.5% compared to the same period last year. The increase in income was facilitated by the increase in the minimum wage, the increase in payments to state employees, a 10% increase in the provision of the military and the indexation of pensions. Also, the slowdown in inflation had a positive effect on the growth of real earnings.
However, the results of the survey conducted after all these increases and indexations show a less optimistic picture. 41% of families barely make ends meet. The situation is somewhat better among working people: only a quarter (25.2%) can afford food alone. The majority (56.9%) have funds for food and clothes, but are forced to save money for more expensive purchases.
