About 11-12 million people living in the territory controlled by Ukraine may be below the poverty line if the latest World Bank estimate of the share of the poor population is applied to current demographic estimates.
According to the spring study of the World Bank Monitoring Living Conditions in Ukraine, the poverty level in Ukraine in 2025 was estimated at 41.6% of the population against 37% in 2024. This indicator actually doubled compared to 2021.
The President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Infectious Disease Specialists Olha Golubovska during a round table at the agency "Interfax-Ukraine" drew attention to the fact that it is not just about a decrease in the standard of living, but about a population that is below the established poverty line and is increasingly unable to finance treatment on its own.
In order to convert this indicator into absolute numbers, it is necessary to take into account that there is no exact current population of Ukraine due to the war and the lack of a census. According to the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in the summer of 2026 approximately 27–29 million people lived in the government-controlled territory. September 2026, since the World Bank indicator refers to 2025, and the population estimate refers to 2026. However, it shows the real scale of the problem.
The World Bank calculates the indicator based on the actual living wage published by the Ministry of Social Policy and data from household surveys. At the same time, the bank notes not only the growth of poverty, but also the strengthening of inequality: the Gini coefficient increased from 0.44 in 2024 to 0.50 in 2025. Real labor incomes of the poorest 20% of households fell by more than 30%, while those of the wealthiest groups increased.
At the same time, the financial stability of families continues to deteriorate. By the end of 2025, about 17% of households already borrowed money to cover basic expenses, about the same number could not pay utilities on time, and the share of families forced to sell property to finance everyday needs has increased.
Families with children, pensioners, internally displaced persons and residents of frontline areas remain particularly vulnerable.
People's deputy of Ukraine Lesya Zaburanna noted during the round table that the consequences of the increase in poverty are already visible not only in the frontline regions, but also in Kyiv, where residents are cutting costs for food, treatment and providing for children.
