Nearly half of Ukrainians (44%) report that they frequently buy the cheapest food items, placing less emphasis on quality, according to a survey by the Razumkov Centere's sociological service, conducted from September 20 to 26 and presented at an Interfax-Ukraine press conference on Wednesday.

Conversely, an equal proportion (45%) stated that they often choose higher-quality products, even if they cost more. The remaining 11% of respondents were unsure.

"Since the full-scale aggression began, compared to June 2021, there has been an increase both in the share of people saying they are barely making ends meet, unable to afford even basic necessities (rising from 9% to 12% in September 2024), and in those who feel they live comfortably but still cannot afford major purchases like a home or car (up from 6% to 9%). Meanwhile, there has been a slight decrease in those who say they generally have enough for daily needs but face difficulty affording long-lasting goods such as furniture, refrigerators, or televisions (from 44% to 41%)," the survey results said.

Compared to 2005, there has been an increase in citizens relying on salaries as their main source of income, rising from 38% to 54%, while the percentage relying mainly on pensions, stipends, assistance, or alimony has dropped from 38% to 29%. Additionally, the share of those who sustain themselves through savings or income from subsistence farming has declined from 7% to 2.5%, while those relying on side jobs decreased from 5% to 3%, and those depending on entrepreneurial income fell from 3% to 2%.

The face-to-face survey was conducted across government-controlled areas not actively engaged in combat, involving 2,016 respondents aged 18 and older. The sample reflects the demographic composition of Ukraine's adult population as of early 2022. The theoretical margin of error does not exceed 2.3%, though additional biases may arise due to the impacts of the Russian aggression.