Study of the Level of Income of the Citizens of Ukraine as a Candidate Country for Access to the European Union

Ukraine strives to develop throughout its independence, to continue its development it has chosen the course of European integration. The country is trying to overcome many crises, such as COVID-19, martial law, problems with the country's economy, and problems in other areas. These crises slow down development and create bigger problems, such as the development of inflation, and rising prices for goods and services. But the country chose for itself the course of European integration. To become one of the countries of the European Union, the state needs to have a decent standard of living for its population. An analysis of prices, consumer price indices, and minimum and average wages was conducted to establish the standard of living in Ukraine. All Ukrainian data were compared with European countries. In each comparison, the factors that cause such a difference between countries were highlighted and recommendations were offered for solving economic issues and developing the population's purchasing power and living standards. To increase the minimum wage, it is necessary to develop effective mechanisms for increasing the level of (hourly, minimum, average) wages, as well as, for example, for people who, as a result of martial law, are temporarily out of work and have incomes below the subsistence minimum, social programs that include: state assistance , minimum guaranteed allowances, child benefit, subsidies for providing the consumer basket, humanitarian aid, etc. To contribute to the economic development of the country, due to the restoration of industrial production, attracting more foreign investments, legislative and financial assistance of the state in the development of industrial enterprises. Recommendations are proposed that will contribute to the growth of incomes and living standards of Ukrainian citizens.