Econometric estimation of the pension in Ukraine

Abstract

The research paper analyzes the dynamics of minimum and average pensions, minimum wage, living wage, consumer price index, and gross external debt of Ukraine. The causal connections between the minimum pension and the researched parameters are presented in UAH and dollar terms. The necessity of econometric modeling for studying socio-economic indicators of living standards is highlighted. The main trends of the impact of the minimum wage, the living wage, the consumer price index, the gross external debt on the minimum pension are overviewed. The predicted values of the minimum pension in Ukraine in UAH in 2017-2021 are calculated, and the confidence intervals of them with a high degree of confidence are given. The ratio of the minimum pension to the minimum wage in UAH and dollar terms is calculated. The econometric models of the dependencies of minimum pension on the minimum wage are presented in UAH and dollar terms. According to econometric models a rise of the minimum wage is accompanied by a rise of the minimum pension. The econometric models of the dependencies of the minimum pension on the subsistence minimum in UAH and dollar terms are presented. According to the models, a rise of the subsistence minimum is accompanied by an increase in the minimum pension. Also, the econometric models of the dependencies of the minimum pension on the consumer price index in UAH and dollar terms are developed. The econometric models prove that a rise of the inflation rate leads to a rise of the minimum pension. Since 2014 the growth of consumer price index has been accompanied by a rapid decline of the minimum pension in dollar terms. The econometric model which shows the dependence of the consumer price index on the minimum pension is developed in UAH and dollar terms. From the model it follows that an increase of the minimum pension results in higher inflation. The econometric models of the dependencies of the minimum pension on the gross external debt are presented in UAH and dollar terms. It is shown that by 2014, foreign loans in UAH and dollar terms were welcome in order to raise pensions which led to the rapid rise of the latter. In recent years the growth of debt in the UAH slightly affected the growth of the minimum pension in UAH, whereas the growth of debt in dollars led to a significant decline in the minimum pension in dollar terms.