Nearly third of Ukrainian families have enough money only for food, survey shows

Around 32% of Ukrainian families have enough income only to buy food, according to a survey published by the ZN.ua media outlet on July 25.

The poll was conducted before the government proposed a bill last week raising the wartime tax. Ukraine is searching for new sources of financing as the ongoing war with Russia is straining its budget.

Over 48% of respondents said their families "have enough finance for food and clothes but have to save for something more expensive," while 9% said they "do not have enough money even for food."

Only 7.4% of the respondents can afford everything and require savings only for very expensive purchases. Nearly 1% said that their family can afford anything they want.

In response to the question about the average monthly family income, 29.5% of respondents chose the option "up to Hr 8,000 ($194)", 36.3% selected "from Hr 8,000 to 18,000 ($194 – $436)," and 16% – "from Hr 18,000 to 30,000 ($436 – $727)." Only 5.4% of the respondents earn over Hr 30,000 ($727) per month.

ZN.ua noted that the results look particularly pessimistic since they concern total family income.

Respondents were also asked to rate the most common expenses in the family budget from 0 to 5 points. According to the poll, Ukrainians spend the most on food (4.1 points) and the least on recreation and entertainment (1.1 points).

The survey was commissioned by ZN.ua and conducted by the Razumkov Center's sociological service from June 20 to 28, 2024. Some 2,027 respondents over the age of 18 were interviewed.

On July 18, the government supported a bill amending the state budget and the Tax Code to increase this year's budget by Hr 500 billion ($12 billion).

One of the sources of additional funding proposed by the government is a tax increase, which should bring Hr 125 billion ($3 billion) to the budget by the end of this year alone.

The government's updated proposal calls for a significant expansion of the military tax base and an increase in the tax rate, particularly from 1.5% to 5% for individuals.

The World Bank said earlier this year that 1.8 million more Ukrainians are living in poverty than in 2020.

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