Integrated AROPE indicator and prospects for its application in Ukraine

The article examines the methodological foundations of the AROPE (At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion) indicator as one of the key instruments for assessing poverty and social exclusion in the European Union. The study substantiates the need for a multidimensional approach to the analysis of social vulnerability of the population under conditions of increasing socio-economic risks, demographic transformations, and growing inequality. It is determined that traditional poverty measurement approaches based primarily on income assessment are insufficient for capturing the full scope of social vulnerability and risks of social exclusion. The essence and structure of the AROPE integrated indicator are analysed, and its main components are characterised, including the at-risk-of-poverty rate, severe material and social deprivation, and very low work intensity of households. The study highlights the advantages of the integrated approach used within the European statistical system, which enables a more comprehensive assessment of poverty and social exclusion compared to conventional monetary indicators. Particular attention is paid to the prospects of applying the AROPE methodology in Ukraine in the context of harmonising national statistics with European standards. The main limitations to its implementation are identified, including the consequences of the full-scale war, internal displacement of the population, loss of housing and sources of income, destruction of social infrastructure, and restricted access to basic social services. The necessity of adapting the AROPE methodology to Ukrainian realities by incorporating specific factors of social vulnerability characteristic of wartime and post-war recovery is substantiated. The paper demonstrates the possibilities of using the AROPE indicator as a methodological basis for modernising the system of poverty and social exclusion monitoring in Ukraine and in identifying directions for adapting its components to the challenges of wartime conditions. The practical significance of the obtained results consists in their potential application for improving social policy, enhancing the effectiveness of monitoring social vulnerability of the population, and facilitating the approximation of the Ukrainian poverty assessment system to European standards.