The aim of the study is to reveal the characteristics of household income
differences and the task is to find the sources of income of the informal sector and
foreign income, to do the analysis of household income difference in Ukraine in
comparison with other countries, development of proposals on income optimization.
In the process of the study the analytical and statistical, comparative and synergistic
methods are used.
Main characteristics of household income. Characteristics of household income
difference are tested and analyzed. In this context, the relationship of the concepts of
incomes and households will be studied. The specialists of the State Statistics Service
of Ukraine offer the following interpretations:
Household is an aggregate of persons who live together in one dwelling or its part,
provide themselves with the things necessary for living, have a common household,
fully or partially share funds. These individuals may be either in a family relationship
or not, or in both ways. A household may consist of one person (article 1 of the Law
of Ukraine “On All-Ukrainian population census”). Households participate in the
survey for one year.
Incomes include the amount in cash and in-kind: salaries (including received by
the population from abroad), profit and mixed income, income derived from property,
social allowances and other current transfers.
Total resources include total revenues, as well as used savings, growth in the
observed period, loans, debts taken by a household, and also returned household debts.
This figure reflects the potential resources of a household received in the survey,
regardless of their sources of income [17, p. 78 - 79].
Consequently, incomes are defined as total resources and the income of
households is revealed in the result of surveys, so differences cannot be traced.
A. Iakymov clarifies these concepts, "Income of the population represents the total
income in households to spend on consumption without reducing its assets" [18, p.
552]. Based on these comparisons, it can be concluded, that by its financial content
these concepts are similar, but according to other approaches, which may be
conditioned by the purpose of the study, it is possible to differentiate these concepts.
On the basis of the synergistic approach, summarizing the views of domestic scientists
and taking into account modern realities of formation of household incomes the
evidence of a household income is provided (Fig. 1).
In the proposed scheme the actual components of household income, which now
in every aspect characterize these revenues, are taken into account. The use of this
classification allows performing a comprehensive study on the formation of income,
analyzing its differentiation, comparing characteristics with similar ones in other
countries, identifying the features, etc.
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