3 out of 12: The NBU has studied the financial literacy of teenagers for the first time
22 April 16:58
Ukrainian teenagers have an initial level of financial literacy. This is one of the main findings of a study conducted by the National Bank in partnership with the NGO Junior Achievement Ukraine among 10th grade students for the first time in Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
How the study was conducted
Teenagers were asked to complete 21 case studies. They were based on the example of the Program for International Student Assessment in Financial Literacy.
The children also answered 20 questions in a questionnaire aimed at deeper analysis of the factors influencing their academic performance.
What the study showed
not a single teenager answered 100% of the case studies presented in the survey correctly.
90% of the correct answers were given by 0.3% of the respondents (girls – 0.4%, boys – 0.1%).
No correct answers were given by 0.3% of respondents.
The average level of correct answers to the case studies among adolescents is 46.6%, which corresponds to 3 points in the 12-point school grading system. This result indicates the initial level of financial literacy of Ukrainian teenagers.
What differences did the study reveal?
Girls have slightly better results (47.4%) compared to boys (45.6%).
The figures for urban and rural students are 48% and 40%, respectively.
The best results were shown by students from Dnipropetrovska (57.4%), Ivano-Frankivska (53.7%) regions and the city of Kyiv (50.4%).
The lowest results were recorded in Kirovohrad (37.4%), Mykolaiv (39.7%), and Chernivtsi (41.4%) regions.
What influences the level of financial literacy
Financial literacy was higher among adolescents from families with parents with higher or professional education, and much lower among children from families with primary education or in poverty (only 33.2% of correct answers among those who do not have enough money even for food).
The level of awareness directly depends on practical experience. The best results were demonstrated by students who:
– used banking apps (49%),
– had their own card (48.5%),
– paid for utilities online (47.6%).
Other positive factors were:
– saving habits (50.3% of correct answers among those who save money)
– keeping records of expenses (48.3% of those who do it monthly)
– having a financial goal (48.1% of those who have a goal for 5 years),
– discussing money in the family (49.3% of those who talk to their parents about finances 1-2 times a week).
The study proved the feasibility of teaching financial literacy in schools
In fact, the purpose of the study was to determine the level of knowledge and skills of students before the introduction of the subject “Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy” in schools.
And, by the way, more than three quarters (77.6%) of the surveyed teenagers expressed the opinion that schools should introduce a financial literacy subject.
As you know, starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the subject will become compulsory for students in all 8 grades and will continue to be taught in grade 9.
In 2027, the second cycle of the study is planned to be conducted, which will allow comparing the results and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching methods for the new subject.
You can view the results of the study here.
What is known about teaching the course “Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy”
In the 8th grade, 17 hours are allocated for the subject during the year. Therefore, according to Osvitoria, teachers will either have to spend this time very sparingly or find additional opportunities, cross-curricular connections, and interesting project tasks in their free time. However, it is planned that in the 8th grade, students will have an introduction to the subject, and in the 9th grade, twice as many hours will be allocated to it.
on April 4, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine held a competition in which schools chose textbooks for the 8th grade for the 2025/2026 school year.
They had to choose from nine textbooks on entrepreneurship and financial literacy developed by respected authors. All of these educational materials have been stamped “Recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine,” meaning that students can choose any one they like. They are also all based on one of the four approved model programs.
There is a page on the website of the Ministry of Education where you can find all the textbooks.
The sets also include a workbook, lesson presentations, an electronic application, and a teaching guide for teachers.
To provide schools with educational materials, a group of authors and experts, including representatives of the Deposit Guarantee Fund, members of its Expert Council on Financial Literacy, academics and teachers from different regions of Ukraine, created the course “Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy. grade 8”.
