FINANCIAL LEVERS FOR INCREASING HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN RURAL LOCATIONS

The research delves into the theoretical and practical foundations of household income generation in rural areas of Ukraine. The study clarifies the perspectives of scholars on the challenges involved in the formation of these income resources. The analysis examines the structure of aggregate resources within these households during the period of 2016-2021 and identifies relevant trends. The findings reveal a consistent increase in wages as a component of total cash income, accompanied by a decrease in income from the sale of agricultural products. These trends reflect complex socio-economic processes shaping the income formation of rural households. The research uncovers the specifics of total income formation for individual households based on hierarchical levels within Ukraine’s social system, considering the influence of factors at the national, local, entrepreneurial, and personal levels. At the national level, the study analyzes the application of individual state social standards, noting a continuous increase in these standards, except for one-time financial assistance at childbirth. Different proportions of these standards are observed, such as a 1.68-fold increase in the minimum living wage per person compared to a 4.19-fold increase in the minimum wage and a 3.59-fold increase in assistance to low-income families during the analyzed period. Furthermore, the analysis of local territorial communities’ budget implementation for 2022 reveals that the financial condition of these communities plays a significant role in fostering business development, supporting the social sphere, and creating favorable conditions for increasing household incomes, particularly through infrastructure development. The research also emphasizes the importance of income from self-employment activities, which serves as a variable income source that can significantly supplement existing income based on personal capabilities. Based on the analysis results, the research provides recommendations for achieving stable growth in household incomes in five key directions.