Briefly
According to a Deloitte study published in an article by LIGA.net, the average Ukrainian spends 84% of their monthly budget on basic necessities — almost twice the global average of 38%. These figures are not abstract: they determine what we buy today, how we plan for tomorrow, and which decisions the government and international partners must make.
What the study showed
The largest expense items in 2025: food — 40%, utilities and rent — 31%, healthcare — 9%, transport — 4%. Ukraine is the only country among those covered where the share of spending on food exceeds one-third of the budget.
"84% of the average Ukrainian's monthly budget goes to covering basic-necessity expenses"
— Deloitte (LIGA.net report)
Why this matters for everyone
When more than three-quarters of income goes to basic survival, there is little room for savings, investment, or the recovery of consumer demand. In the study, Ukrainians themselves consider it acceptable to spend no more than 46% of the budget on basic needs — the actual burden nearly doubles that threshold.
International context and consequences
For comparison: in Germany, about 45% goes to basic needs, which allows Germans to allocate 17% to leisure, 9% to savings and 7% to electronics — together roughly one-third of the budget. In Ukraine these three categories account for only about 4%. The difference underscores that economic recovery here will require a different starting point.
There are also large disparities in spending on leisure, electronics and savings: Ukrainians spend only 1% of their budget on leisure (compared with 16–20% in most other countries), 1% on electronics (versus 6–10%), and save 3–6 times less than people in China, Japan, the UK or South Korea.
"The war has set Ukraine back 15 years on poverty"
— World Bank (estimate)
Methodology
The survey was conducted 28 November — 11 December 2025 among Ukrainians aged 18 and over who use smartphones. The sample included more than 1,000 respondents and was quota-sampled by socio-demographic characteristics.
What’s next — for the state and partners
These data provide a clear policy framework: targeted assistance reduces the burden of food and utility payments, and programs that stimulate savings and access to credit for real reconstruction projects can change the structure of household spending in the medium term. It is also important that international aid considers not only the amount but also the format — for example, subsidies for energy efficiency or support for the local agricultural sector, which would lower food costs.
The issue is not only numbers on paper: it is about the ability of Ukrainian families to plan for the future, invest in their children's health and education, rebuild businesses and create jobs. Whether policymakers and partners can turn these findings into concrete decisions is the key question for the next steps.
