766 million people in the world live on less than 2 dollars a day, reports the United Nations in the 2016 Human Development Index. Researchers, ranking 188 countries by factors such as life expectancy, education levels, and income, have placed Ukraine as 84th in the list.
Blerta Cela, UNDP Deputy Country Director for Ukraine:
“If we look at the Human Development Index for Ukraine, which again reflects measurement across education, health, and standards of living, we see that the Human Development Index for Ukraine is 0.743, which puts the country in the high human development category. It positions Ukraine 84th out of 188 countries. Compared to last year, Ukraine lost 3 positions in such ranking.”
The Human Development Index allows researchers and policy makers a way to track the development of their country, without relying on purely economic indicators.
The purchasing power of Ukrainians has decreased significantly. 60% of Ukrainians are currently living below the poverty line. UN experts forecast that without reforms and economic stabilization, Ukraine’s population will decrease by 4 million people by 2030.
Neal Walker, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine:
“In Ukraine, this is particularly true. There are 1.7 million internally displaced people, 2.8 million people with disabilities, and 60% live below the poverty line.”
Ella Libanova, Director of the Ptoukha Institute of Demographic and Social Studies of Ukraine
“The national income for a single person has fallen for the first time in 25 years by purchasing power parity. To compare 2015 and 1990, purchasing power has fallen by 31.9 percent.”
Experts have also noted some positive improvement for Ukraine in the report as well. Life expectancy for women and men have risen, as well as access to higher education.
