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The number of Ukrainians living in poverty has grown by 1.8 million since 2020, bringing the total to about 29% of the population as Russia’s 2022 invasion continues to ravage the country’s economy, the World Bank said in a report.
That’s according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.
The World Bank report, based on monthly phone surveys of up to 2,000 households, estimated that some 9 million Ukrainians were living in poverty last year. The increase in poverty was driven by declining employment, with more than a fifth of adults who were working before the war having lost their jobs, the report said.
At the same time, the report showed that 85-92% of health clinics in Ukraine were still fully operational in 2023, despite ongoing Russian attacks.
It said at least 89% of children aged 6-18 also remained in school, although in areas facing active hostilities 72% of those students were attending school online.
The survey also showed that 97% of old-age pensions and 85% social assistance transfers were paid on time, a key factor in preventing even more from falling into poverty. Pensions and other social assistance had helped compensate for job losses in vulnerable households, it found.
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