 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Country Comparisons
 |
 |
 |
|
| Area (sq km) | 447,400 | 603,700 | 312,685 |
| Population | 29,341,000 | 45,706,000 | 38,216,000 |
| Life Expectancy | 68.0 | 70.3 | 76.2 |
| GDP per Capita | $1,546 | $3,615 | $14,463 |
| Literacy Rate | 99.4% | 99.7% | 99.5% |
| Number of TVs | 6,400,000 | 18,050,000 | 13,050,000 |
| Number of Radios | 10,800,000 | 45,050,000 | 10,800,000 |
| % Individuals Using Internet | 30.2% | 30.6% | 65.9% |
| Mobile Phones per 100 People | 92 | 123 | 130 |
| Fixed Phones per 100 People | 7 | 28 | 18 |
For the purpose of gauging Ukraine’s development, both in the media and as a nation, it is appropriate to compare it to the countries Poland and Uzbekistan. All three nations have a similar size, population, region, and literacy rate, but the universal similarities stop there.
Poland, which has undergone various periods of independence and occupation, reached a historic benchmark in 2004 when it became a member of the European Union. It is similar to Ukraine because of its huge farming sector and position as an Eastern European nation. Today, it is a well-developed part of Europe that provides a glimpse of the type of nation that Ukraine could become in the future.
Uzbekistan sits on the other end of the spectrum. It, like Ukraine, was a Soviet member state that gained newfound independence in 1991. Because of the roots Uzbekistan shares with Ukraine, it has shared many of the same challenges since gaining independence. It serves as an excellent marker for the extent to which Ukraine has developed since its existence as a Soviet state.
An initial assessment of the background statistics shows that Poland is clearly the most developed nation of the three. It dominates in the categories of life expectancy (76.2 years) and GDP per capita ($12,463), both of which are used as world development indicators by the World Bank. While Ukraine falls in the middle of the two other nations, its numbers are much closer to those of its post-Soviet counterpart, Uzbekistan, which has the much lower GDP ($1,546) and life expectancy (70.3 years). Ukraine’s GDP per capita ($3,615), which is less than 1/3 of Poland’s, demonstrates an economic problem that the nation continues to struggle with. Poor pay and a lack of opportunity have caused many of the countries professionals and educated use to move to developed nations, such as Poland, in search of better pay. It is because of problems such as these that Ukraine has not clearly emerged as a developed nation.
In the media sphere, Ukraine’s numbers improve greatly, and it sets itself clearly apart from Uzbekistan. It is right behind Poland in number of fixed-line and cell phone subscriptions per 100 people, which is especially impressive considering that Ukraine has a larger area and population. The larger population is no doubt part of the reason that Ukraine has more televisions (18,050,000) and radios (45,050,000) than both Poland and Uzbekistan. These amounts also reflect the history of Ukraine’s dominant media technology. During the Soviet regime, radio was most popular, and it remains so for the majority of the elder generation. The rest of the nation relies on television for the majority of its news and cultural information, which explains the massive amount of television sets in the country.
It is even more impressive that Ukraine’s radio and television numbers rival Poland’s when one considers that, according to the BBC, Poland has the largest broadcasting network in eastern and central Europe. The market has been successful enough to attract foreign investors. Ukraine still largely lacks a foreign investment presence in its media; the most popular television and radio stations are owned by national oligarchs.
Poland also demonstrates a more first-world media environment with its internet use rates (64.9%), which are more than double those of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. This suggests that Poland has made, or is about to make, the switch to the internet as its dominant media technology. Ukraine and Uzbekistan remain dependent upon television and radio, although internet use has increased dramatically in both countries recently. In 2010, Ukraine had 23.3% of individuals using the internet, and Uzbekistan had just 20%. As of 2011, these numbers had jumped to over 30% for both countries.
These statistics provide an excellent representation of the situation Ukraine will face in the near future. It is currently caught in the middle of the two sides represented by Uzbekistan and Poland. Like Uzbekistan, Ukraine is young nation that is still struggling to become part of the first world. The post-Soviet nations both face economic and societal problems that must be addressed before moving forward. Ukraine, however, does seem to be closer to achieving first-world status. Its media environment rivals Poland’s, and it enjoys an established freedom of the press that Uzbekistan still lacks. Ukraine should take pride in its movement away from the type of situation represented by Uzbekistan, but also must recognize that a number of problems must be addressed before it becomes a legitimate member of Europe.