The number of poor in Ukraine has doubled in two years, while the rich have tripled

According to the National Bank of Ukraine survey, the number of poor has significantly increased this year compared to 2021. At the same time, the number of wealthy has also grown, and there’s a logic behind it, Focus reported.

Over two years, the number of Ukrainians saving even on food has more than doubled, while the number of those who can afford any purchases has increased by almost 3.5 times. According to the NBU’s data, if in 2021, 12.2% of Ukrainians economized on food, in 2022, it was 19.9%, and by 2023, it reached 26.2%. The percentage of the wealthy, capable of making any purchases, has risen from 0.5% to 1.7%. Furthermore, the number of citizens able to afford food, clothing, footwear, small, and large appliances has nearly tripled.

Experts suggest that these figures reveal a more unfair distribution of income. In conditions where external financial flows of around $40 billion annually are controlled by the wealthy, it’s not surprising that they become even richer. Currently, 26.2% of Ukrainians economize on food. “The stronger the polarization of society, the more excesses on one end and the more desperation on the other,” experts note.

The situation is complicated by the fact that a small number of those who enriched themselves during the war may have achieved such success through illegal methods, including widespread corruption. People involved in army corruption cannot be excluded from this list either. Numerous scandals continue to rock Ukrainian society. While Ukrainians with low incomes are forced to go to war, richer ones buy their way out of military service.