The percentage of Ukrainians who do not save money has risen from 56% to 62% over the past two years, according to a Viber survey
Rakuten Viber investigated whether Ukrainians had been saving money over the past two years. Half of those surveyed did not save, while another 14% spent their savings. Respondents who managed to save most often kept their savings in cash at home.
On June 8, 2026, in Kyiv, the Rakuten Viber team conducted a survey to find out whether Ukrainians had been saving money over the past two years and how they store their money. About 20,000 users participated in the survey on the official Rakuten Viber Ukraine channel.
Are Ukrainians able to save money?
The survey results showed that 62% of Ukrainians have not saved money over the past two years. Meanwhile, 13% of respondents set aside money from each paycheck, and one in four (25%) tries to save but not consistently.
The Rakuten Viber team conducted a similar survey in the summer of 2024. The share of Ukrainians who manage to save money fell by 6 percentage points—from 44% in 2024 to 38% in 2026.
In response to the question “Have you been saving money over the past two years?”, the answers were distributed as follows:
- No: I used to be able to, but now I don’t have that opportunity — 33% (16% in 2024);
- Yes, I try to save, but not regularly — 25% (32% in 2024);
- No, I have never had savings, neither before nor now — 15% (21% in 2024);
- For the past few years, not only have I not been saving, but I’ve also been spending my savings — 14% (19% in 2024);
- Yes, I set aside money from every paycheck — 13% (12% in 2024).
Where Ukrainians keep their savings
Ukrainians who manage to save also shared where they keep their savings. 46% of respondents keep cash at home, while 13% have a bank account. Responses to the question “If you manage to save, where do you keep your savings?” were distributed as follows:
- Cash at home — 46% (53% in 2024);
- Bank account — 13% (10% in 2024);
- Interest-bearing bank deposit — 9% (5% in 2024);
- Invested in real estate — 2% (1% in 2024);
- Cryptocurrency — 1% (2% in 2024);
- Bonds or other securities — 1% (the same as in 2024);
- Precious metals — 1% (same as in 2024);
- A little bit of everything — 13% (14% in 2024);
- Other — 14% (13% in 2024).
Note: Research methodology – anonymous online survey, n > 18,000. Key age group – 34–45 years old, with over 50% of respondents under 45 years old.
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