Ukraine Economics.
How do people live in Ukraine?

Ukraine economics. Don't expect to find deep analysis of Ukraine economical situation on this page. I am not an expert. The reasons I wrote this page are those numerous questions people ask me about living in Ukraine. Why do people ask those questions? Sometimes it is just curiosity. Someone has business interest to Ukraine statistics and economics. Other people are planning to move to Ukraine or have relatives and friends and would like to understand their life better.

They say: " There are as many points of view at the same subject as many individuals express their opinions." Sure it is true. All people are different and the things they value and appreciate in this life are different also. Talking about Ukraine economics from a non expert point of view, I'll try not to express my own opinion about the subject. Anyway someone will say that it is wrong. I'll just tell you what I could see in the streets and will give you some information from the monthly Report of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine.

What kind of changes a person who have not visited Ukraine for three years, for example, will notice in the streets first of all? Ukraine certainly has changed A LOT during this period of time. Here are the facts which catch your attention in the big city right away:

• There are a lot of construction works and new buildings: newly build modern suburbs, trade centers, some streets are redesigned, and old buildings are restored. Guess, what kind of new businesses will you see the most often? You are right: drug stores, churches, casinos, restaurants. They are literally around each corner. It looks like they are a country vital necessities.
• Ukraine and Soviet Union always had and have a very well developed system of public transportation. Keep in mind when you travel to Ukraine . It is quite understandable. Not many families could or were able to buy a car. The more, a car rental in Ukraine was practically impossible.

  Nowadays everything is rapidly changing. The city streets are overflowed with cars. Cities were not designed for so many drivers. As a result, you can hardly drive your car downtown, pedestrians are not capable to cross the roads even on their green traffic light, and cars are parked every where: pedestrian passes, parks, squares, and so on.

• Enormous number of places where something can be bought and sold: trade centers, stores, malls, booths in the streets or just a piece of plastic or a newspaper on the ground where people place their goods for passer by. Needles to say, that there are a lot of stores where variety of choices and quality of goods and groceries are very impressive. None of Walmart's or Miejer's look as attractive as those Ukrainian stores.
• Very many streets of the big cities look extremely dirty. It looks like all city services are busy with something else but their direct duties.

Ukraine economics despite all that mess we can watch in our political life (September, 2008), is growing. What about Ukraine people? Do they have better life in Ukraine than they had 10-15 years ago? Ukraine has been and is a country of the big contrasts. There are a lot of pretty successful people in Ukraine. But at the same time according to the official statistics:

• 13.2 millions of Ukrainians (29,3% of total population, 2007) live below official poverty level (532 UAH).
• An average Ukrainian family spends 55 % of their total income buying food.
• Population debt for used utilities is 8 milliards UAH .
• An average age of Ukraine population rapidly grows from year to year. There are 9 pensioners for every 10 working people in Ukraine(2008).
• There is constant decrease of population in Ukraine: 46.222 (2008) thousands people versus 48.457 thousands in 2001.

Official statistics data about Ukraine economics reflect only a part of total picture since significant sector of Ukrainian economics still stays "gray" and is not accessible for research. Very many people just get their salaries in the envelops and none statistics can describe a real level of income which Ukraine population has.

Most likely it is very true that an average level of income is higher (how much? no one knows...) than that shown by official statistics. But at the same time it is very true and quite typical that a person who has a PhD in engineering and 32 years worked in his field has monthly pension equal to 544 UAH / 116 USD (minimum for Ukraine). Perhaps something is still not right in our Ukraine economics.

For those of you who are wondering about living in Ukraine, there is more details about Ukraine statistics and economics at Ukraine Money page. There you will find out what Ukrainians can afford to buy for their salaries and realize what kind of income you will have to have in order to get a decent level of life standard in Ukraine.

Would you like to know how a typical Ukrainian family spends their money? Check a Living in Ukraine page.

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