In 2025, the poverty rate in Ukraine rose to 41.6%, up from 37% a year earlier. At the same time, income inequality increased, while the poorest households faced declines in real wages and pensions.
This is stated in the World Bank’s monitoring of living conditions in Ukraine.
According to a model-based estimate, the share of the population living below the national poverty line stood at 41.6% in 2025. In 2024, the figure was estimated at 37%. The World Bank notes that poverty in Ukraine has been steadily increasing since 2022.
One of the main problems remains the rising cost of living. By 2025, cumulative price increases for housing and utilities amounted to approximately 50–70%, while food prices rose by 70–80%. In some regions, food price increases approached 90%.
Households’ financial capacity is also declining. By the end of 2025, around 17% of families were borrowing money for basic needs, while about 6% were selling assets. Only about one in five households reported being able to save money during the previous month.
Income inequality also increased. The Gini coefficient rose from 0.44 in 2024 to 0.50 in 2025. Real wage income among the poorest 20% of households fell by more than 30%, while among the richest households it increased by more than 10%.
Among the poorest households, fewer than 20% have wage income, while about 70% of families in the two lowest income groups receive pensions. At the same time, families with young children are more likely to be among the poorest: around 30% of households with children under the age of six are in the lowest income group.
