Economic polarization of the Ukrainian population during Russian military aggression

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the level and identify the directions of dynamics as well as possible consequences of economic polarization of the Ukrainian population as a result of deepening social inequalities in the context of russian military aggression. The methodological approach to conducting the research was based on the principles of dialectics and the key methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, and descriptive-analytical as well as systematizing and generalizing the obtained results. To quantify economic inequality as an indicator of the degree of economic polarization in the population, the study utilized the approach used by experts in such cases, based on the calculation and analysis of the Gini coefficient. The conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approach of the study was to adopt the position that economic polarization of the population is both a factor and one of the manifestations of the deepening level of social inequality. It has been established that russian military aggression has caused catastrophic damage to the Ukrainian economy and is a major factor in the rapidly escalating economic polarization of the Ukrainian population—the rich are becoming richer, the poor are becoming poorer, and the middle class is gradually disappearing. These phenomena are driving increased social inequality and corresponding socioeconomic tensions in the country, resulting in a growing level of economic polarization of the population, which entails potential negative consequences in the form of the spread of military inequalities forms, which are critically undesirable in the current war environment. While somewhat surprising, it is true that Ukrainians in these circumstances are not devoid of optimism, demonstrating high levels of sense of purpose in life.