Ukraine Economy - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Economic overview

After Russia, the Ukrainian Republic was the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil accounted for more than one fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied unique equipment such as large diameter pipes and vertical drilling apparatus, and raw materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the former USSR.

 

Shortly after independence in August 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms to foster economic growth. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy. From 2000 until mid-2008, Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president. The economy contracted nearly 15% in 2009, among the worst economic performances in the world. In April 2010, Ukraine negotiated a price discount on Russian gas imports in exchange for extending Russia's lease on its naval base in Crimea.

 

Ukraine’s oligarch-dominated economy grew slowly from 2010 to 2013 but remained behind peers in the region and among Europe’s poorest. After former President YANUKOVYCH fled the country during the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine’s economy fell into crisis because of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, military conflict in the eastern part of the country, and a trade war with Russia, resulting in a 17% decline in GDP, inflation at nearly 60%, and dwindling foreign currency reserves. The international community began efforts to stabilize the Ukrainian economy, including a March 2014 IMF assistance package of $17.5 billion, of which Ukraine has received four disbursements, most recently in April 2017, bringing the total disbursed as of that date to approximately $8.4 billion. Ukraine has made progress on reforms designed to make the country prosperous, democratic, and transparent, including creation of a national anti-corruption agency, overhaul of the banking sector, establishment of a transparent VAT refund system, and increased transparency in government procurement. But more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, improving the business environment to attract foreign investment, privatizing state-owned enterprises, and land reform. The fifth tranche of the IMF program, valued at $1.9 billion, was delayed in mid-2017 due to lack of progress on outstanding reforms, including adjustment of gas tariffs to import parity levels and adoption of legislation establishing an independent anti-corruption court.

 

Russia’s occupation of Crimea in March 2014 and ongoing Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine have hurt economic growth. With the loss of a major portion of Ukraine’s heavy industry in Donbas and ongoing violence, the economy contracted by 6.6% in 2014 and by 9.8% in 2015, but it returned to low growth in in 2016 and 2017, reaching 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively, as key reforms took hold. Ukraine also redirected trade activity towards the EU following the implementation of a bilateral Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, displacing Russia as its largest trading partner. A prohibition on commercial trade with separatist-controlled territories in early 2017 has not impacted Ukraine’s key industrial sectors as much as expected, largely because of favorable external conditions. Ukraine returned to international debt markets in September 2017, issuing a $3 billion sovereign bond.

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$516.68 billion (2020 est.)

$538.33 billion (2019 est.)

$521.52 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

3.24% (2019 est.)

3.41% (2018 est.)

2.48% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$12,400 (2020 est.)

$12,800 (2019 est.)

$12,300 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$155.082 billion (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.9% (2019 est.)

11% (2018 est.)

14.4% (2017 est.)

note: Excluding the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and part of the anti-terrorist operation zone

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: B (2019)

Moody's rating: B3 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: B (2019)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 12.2% (2017 est.)

industry: 28.6% (2017 est.)

services: 60% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 66.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 20.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 16% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 4.7% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 47.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -55.6% (2017 est.)

Agricultural products

maize, wheat, potatoes, sunflower seed, sugar beet, milk, barley, soybeans, rapeseed, tomatoes

Industries

coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing

Industrial production growth rate

3.1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

16.033 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 5.8%

industry: 26.5%

services: 67.8% (2014)

Unemployment rate

8.89% (2019 est.)

9.42% (2018 est.)

note: officially registered workers; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 19.3%

male: 19.8%

female: 18.5% (2020 est.)

Population below poverty line

1.1% (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

26.1 (2018 est.)

28.2 (2009)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.2%

highest 10%: 21.6% (2015 est.)

Budget

revenues: 29.82 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 31.55 billion (2017 est.)

note: this is the planned, consolidated budget

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt

71% of GDP (2017 est.)

81.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: the total public debt of $64.5 billion consists of: domestic public debt ($23.8 billion); external public debt ($26.1 billion); and sovereign guarantees ($14.6 billion)

Taxes and other revenues

26.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Current account balance

-$4.124 billion (2019 est.)

-$6.432 billion (2018 est.)

Exports

$60.67 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$63.56 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$59.18 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Russia 9%, China 8%, Germany 6%, Poland 6%, Italy 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Exports - commodities

corn, sunflower seed oils, iron and iron products, wheat, insulated wiring, rapeseed (2019)

Imports

$62.46 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$76.07 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$70.56 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

China 13%, Russia 12%, Germany 10%, Poland 9%, Belarus 7% (2019)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, natural gas (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$18.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$15.54 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external

$117.41 billion (2019 est.)

$114.449 billion (2018 est.)

Exchange rates

hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar -

28.10001 (2020 est.)

23.7 (2019 est.)

27.80499 (2018 est.)

21.8447 (2014 est.)

11.8867 (2013 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Ukraine on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ukraine 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ukraine 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.