Country background

Demography

Ukraine is facing a very problematic development of its population numbers due to the trend of depopulation. As of 2003 Ukraine had a population decline rate of 0.73% mainly due to its decreasing birth rate and life expectancy. According to the UNFPA the general mortality rate was 1.59 % as of 2003 whereas the general birth rate only came up to 0.86%.

Poverty and Unemployment

Since the end of the cold war poverty is mainly resulting from the redistribution of resources after the countries’ transformation in the early 1990s on the way to market-based economy. According to the official data of the Ministry of Economy in Ukraine, 27.1 % of the population were below the poverty line in 2005. The low income level is the most important cause for poverty in Ukraine.

Though, in recent years the unemployment rate was decreasing, from 12% in 1999 to 8.6% in 2004 and 6.% in 2008 according to ILO. Nevertheless, the official numbers of unemployed citizens do not take into account people working in the shadow economy, including illegal work abroad as well as unemployed people who do not register with the state unemployment agency.
 

Social security schemes and programs by branch