Man am I a nerd, I look to the IMF Stat sheet for fun. The IMF came out with a whole slew of Ukraine figures and analysis yesterday.

They've posted their:

Full Country Report (Jan 05)
Ukraine Statistics (1998-Oct 2004)
Selected Issues

I'm just a big enough nerd to enjoy looking over some of the statistics. (other tidbits later)

Highlights for people with other things to do: (Bearing in mind that most IMF stats come from official government figures and are thus subject to the distortion in official government figures)

Wages (Statistics p. 22)

• The average wage in 2003 was 462 hryvnias ($87) a month
• Educational jobs earned 340hr.($64)/mo.
• agriculture/hunting/forestry jobs earned an average of 219hr.($41)/mo.
• The average wage of a miner in 2003 was 791 hr. ($132) a month; the only group of people who made more on this, admittedly short and lacking in technology positions, list were workers in the Financial industry.

The impressive earnings for a non-degree job are probably what keep the miners. If they stay with mining and continue to risk their lives, they will continue to make twice what they might otherwise make with their skill set. (if they find anything at all, that is) Look at what they could get in farming, for instance.

Trade (Statistics p. 47-52)

• Ukraine has had a positive trade balance every year from 1999-2002, after a really bad year in 1998, 2003 was slightly negative
• In 2003 it exports were worth $23.7bn and imports $24.0bn (of imports $7.6bn was energy--oil, gas, and coal)
• 26% of exports went to the CIS, 18% to Russia, 42% went to Europe, 3% went to the US and 4% to China
• 14% of exports were fuel and energy, 15% machinery, and 36% Ferrous and nonferrous metals
• 50% of imports came from the CIS, 38% from Russia, 35% from Europe, 2% from the US and 2% from China
• Fuel and Energy was 36% of imports, Machinery 25%

This is why the "energy and fuel issues" with Russia loom so large so often. This also makes the US democracy assistance programs in Ukraine seem pretty altruistic, considering how little economic interest we have in the country.