Every time you watch news on Ukrainian television, listen to Ukrainian radio or read
Ukrainian press, you get the impression that Ukraine is almost a single country in the
whole world. You hardly learn anything about international events or relations, different
regions or continents. Usually, news about Ukrainian everyday political skirmishes and
intrigues seems to be more important than international politics, developments in the
neighboring states or global trends’ explanations.
In actual fact, Ukraine is an open country. Ukrainian economy benefits from its exports.
Ukraine is a member and partner in many economic, political, social, regional and
international organizations. A positive future development of the country depends first
and foremost on its economic and political openness, on free movements of capital,
goods, innovations, ideas, and people.
Ukraine also seeks for a politically equal partnership with members of the European
Union and other states. To be appreciated by the modern world is very important to the
Ukrainian citizens and its high living standards serve as a positive orientation mark for
them. The well known so-called “euroremont” is only one example.
The achievement of these standards, the transformation of Ukraine into a modern European
democratic and social welfare state under the rule of law can be understood as
a huge modernization project. And this project should begin by comparing itself with the
standards of living in other states and regions of the world and the attempt to achieve them.
One needs to compare itself with the best ones and try to attain their higher level of living.
It is absolutely worthwhile to think outside one’s own box to learn how other states are developing,
what steps they have taken, what reforms they have successfully carried out and
what problems they had to face on their way to become what they are now.
In Ukraine, politicians and citizens often argue that one cannot compare Ukraine with
any other country. “It is an example of its own,” they say. Everything here is said to be very
different, special and exceptional. The criteria of other states could not work here. However,
external perspective and knowledge about those states that have experienced transformation
processes themselves prove otherwise. And the comparison should encourage the
Ukrainians! The political, social and economic problems Ukraine is being confronted with
today have been successfully overcome by other states and regions of the world.
If Ukraine is an open and modern state that claims to be willing to achieve the European
standards of living, Ukrainians are called upon to ask themselves: where do we
stand? where do we need to go? how good are our standards of living in comparison to
other countries? who are the best ones – in our region, in our neighborhood, worldwide?
which countries are to take as an example?
This publication gives some answers to these questions. The chosen combination of
popular and less known statistics and indicators serves to demonstrate Ukraine’s ranking
with reference to the different areas of life. To make these figures more understandable
for the reader they are supplemented with short comments and explanations. From now
on we will annually renew the stats and by this record the new state of the modernization
project “Ukraine”.
I wish you an inspiring and advantageous reading!
Nico Lange
Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Ukraine
Kiev, March 2010