Ukraine's Statistics Service to update consumer set, may include online subscriptions

The State Statistics Service of Ukraine plans to modernize the consumer basket used to calculate the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Arsen Makarchuk, head of the service, told Interfax-Ukraine in an interview.

"I don't think we will include a ChatGPT subscription in the next update, but perhaps some bundled subscriptions to services such as Google One or Netflix could be considered, since many people use them," he noted.

Makarchuk emphasized that he welcomes a public discussion on the issue, as the State Statistics Service has often been criticized for skewing the current consumer basket toward households with lower incomes.

The update will take place once new household survey data is collected. Household surveys in Ukraine have been suspended for three years due to the full-scale war, but they are set to resume soon. Last week, a pilot project was launched in Ternopil region. Early results are encouraging, with residents demonstrating willingness to cooperate and engage with researchers.

The findings of the pilot will shape the overall strategy for nationwide surveys scheduled for the fall. Final data are expected to be published in the first quarter of 2026, based on results from the fourth quarter of this year.

The consumer basket is a representative set of goods and services most commonly purchased by households across all regions of the country. It currently includes 295 items.