2019 Edition

Background

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine achieved independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest referred to as the "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections, become prime minister in August 2006, and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012, Ukraine held Rada elections, widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against students, civil society activists, and other civilians in favor of the agreement led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles, scores of deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office in June 2014; he was succeeded by Volodymyr ZELENSKY in May 2019. Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014, Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula falsely claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later, a "referendum" was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The "referendum" was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government, the EU, the US, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, 100 members of the UN passed UNGA resolution 68/262, rejecting the "referendum" as baseless and invalid and confirming the sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In mid-2014, Russia began supplying proxies in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower, funding, and materiel driving an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government that continues to this day. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the unrecognized Russian proxy republics signed the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum in September 2014 to end the conflict. However, this agreement failed to stop the fighting or find a political solution. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes, leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany negotiated a follow-on Package of Measures in February 2015 to implement the Minsk agreements. Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the unrecognized Russian proxy republics, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also meet regularly to facilitate implementation of the peace deal. More than 13,000 civilians have been killed or wounded as a result of the Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine.

Area

Land

579,330 sq km

Total

603,550 sq km

Water

24,220 sq km

Area Comparative

almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Coastline

2,782 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Hora Hoverla 2,061 m

Lowest Point

Black Sea 0 m

Mean Elevation

175 m

Environment Current Issues

air and water pollution; land degradation; solid waste management; biodiversity loss; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Signed But Not Ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

Geographic Coordinates

49 00 N, 32 00 E

Geography Note

strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe after Russia

Irrigated Land

21,670 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Belarus 1111 km, Hungary 128 km, Moldova 1202 km, Poland 535 km, Romania 601 km, Russia 1944 km, Slovakia 97 km

Total

5,618 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

71.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

56.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.5% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

13.6% (2011 est.)

Forest

16.8% (2011 est.)

Other

12% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

Map References

AsiaEurope

Maritime Claims

Continental Shelf

200 m or to the depth of exploitation

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

occasional floods; occasional droughts

Natural Resources

iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land

Population Distribution

densest settlement in the eastern (Donbas) and western regions; noteable concentrations in and around major urban areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k, and Odesa

Terrain

mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, with mountains found only in the west (the Carpathians) or in the extreme south of the Crimean Peninsula

Age Structure

0 14 Years

15.95% (male 3,609,386 /female 3,400,349)

15 24 Years

9.57% (male 2,156,338 /female 2,047,821)

25 54 Years

44.03% (male 9,522,108 /female 9,831,924)

55 64 Years

13.96% (male 2,638,173 /female 3,499,718)

65 Years And Over

16.49% (male 2,433,718 /female 4,812,764) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

10.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

65.4% (2012)

Current Health Expenditure

6.7% (2016)

Death Rate

14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

23 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

4.3 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

44.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

21.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

97.8% of population

Improved Total

96.2% of population

Improved Urban

95.5% of population

Unimproved Rural

2.2% of population

Unimproved Total

3.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

4.5% of population

Education Expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

6,100 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

240,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

8.8 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

8.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldovan/Romanian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

77.4 years

Male

67.7 years

Total Population

72.4 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

99.7% (2015)

Male

99.8%

Total Population

99.8%

Major Urban Areas Population

2.973 million KYIV (capital), 1.432 million Kharkiv, 1.01 million Odesa, 963,000 Dnipropetrovsk, 912,000 Donetsk (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

19 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

43.9 years

Male

37.7 years

Total

40.8 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

24.9 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Ukrainian

Noun

Ukrainian(s)

Net Migration Rate

4.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

24.1% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.01 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

43,952,299 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.04% (2018 est.)

Religions

Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish (2013 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

92.6% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

95.9% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

97.4% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

7.4% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

4.1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.6% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

16 years (2014)

Male

15 years

Total

15 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.06 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.97 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.75 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.51 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.86 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.55 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

21.5% (2016 est.)

Male

24%

Total

23%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

-0.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

69.5% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities** (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k (Dnipro), Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad (Kropyvnyts'kyy), Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Geographic Coordinates

50 26 N, 30 31 E

Name

Kyiv (Kiev)

Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Ukraine

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of Ukraine or by at least one third of the Supreme Council members; adoption requires simple majority vote by the Council and at least two-thirds majority vote in its next regular session; adoption of proposals relating to general constitutional principles, elections, and amendment procedures requires two-thirds majority vote by the Council and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on personal rights and freedoms, national independence, and territorial integrity cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2019 (2019)

History

several previous; latest adopted and ratified 28 June 1996

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

none

Conventional Short Form

Ukraine

Etymology

name derives from the Old East Slavic word "ukraina" meaning "borderland or march (militarized border region)" and began to be used extensively in the 19th century; originally Ukrainians referred to themselves as Rusyny (Rusyns, Ruthenians, or Ruthenes), an endonym derived from the medieval Rus state (Kyivan Rus)

Former

Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

Local Long Form

none

Local Short Form

Ukrayina

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William B. TAYLOR (since 18 June 2019)

Embassy

4 A. I. Igor Sikorsky Street, 04112 Kyiv

Fax

[380] (44) 521-5155

Mailing Address

5850 Kyiv Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850

Telephone

[380] (44) 521-5000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Volodymyr YELCHENKO (since 13 December 2019)

Consulate's General

Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Fax

[1] (202) 333-0817

Telephone

[1] (202) 349-2920

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, approved by the Verkhovna Rada

Chief Of State

President Volodymyr ZELENSKYY (since 20 May 2019)

Election Results

first round results: percent of vote - Volodymyr ZELENSKYY (Servant of the People) 30.2%, Petro POROSHENKO (BPP-Solidarity) 15.6%, Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (Fatherland) 13.4%, Yuriy BOYKO (Opposition Platform-For Life) 11.7%, 35 other candidates 29.1%; second round results: percent of vote - Volodymyr ZELENSKYY (Servant of the People) 73.2%, Petro POROSHENKO (BPP-Solidarity) 24.5%; Oleksiy HONCHARUK (Servant of the People) elected prime minister; Verkhovna Rada vote - 290-27

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 March and 21 April 2019 (next to be held in March 2024); prime minister selected by the Verkhovna Rada

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Oleksiy HONCHARUK (since 29 August 2019)

Flag Description

two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: ca. 982 (VOLODYMYR I consolidates Kyivan Rus); 1199 (Principality (later Kingdom) of Ruthenia formed; 1648 (establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate); 22 January 1918 (from Soviet Russia)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CICA (observer), CIS (participating member, has not signed the 1993 CIS charter), EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court of Ukraine or SCU (consists of 100 judges, organized into civil, criminal, commercial and administrative chambers, and a grand chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of 18 justices); High Anti-Corruption Court (consists of 39 judges, including 12 in the Appeals Chamber)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Supreme Court judges recommended by the High Qualification Commission of Judges (a 16-member state body responsible for judicial candidate testing and assessment and judicial administration), submitted to the High Council of Justice, a 21-member independent body of judicial officials responsible for judicial self-governance and administration, and appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; High Anti-Corruption Court judges are selected by the same process as Supreme Court justices, with one addition – a majority of a combined High Qualification Commission of Judges and a 6-member Public Council of International Experts must vote in favor of potential judges in order to recommend their nomination to the High Council of Justice; this majority must include at least 3 members of the Public Council of International Experts; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 6 each by the president, by the Congress of Judges, and by the Verkhovna Rada; judges serve 9-year nonrenewable terms

Subordinate Courts

Courts of Appeal; district courts

Legal System

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; 225 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 225 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - Servant of the People 43.2%, Opposition Platform-For Life 13.1%, Batkivshchyna 8.2%, European Solidarity 8.1%, Voice 5.8%, other 21.6%; seats by party (preliminary) - Servant of the People 254, Oposition Platform for Life 43, Batkivshchyna 26, European Solidarity 25, Voice 20, Opposition Bloc 6, Samopomich 1, Svoboda 1, other parties 2, independent 46; note - voting not held in Crimea and parts of two Russian-occupied eastern oblasts leaving 26 seats vacant; although this brings the total to 424 elected members (of 450 potential), article 83 of the constitution mandates that a parliamentary majority consists of 226 seats

Elections

last held on 21 July 2019 (next to be held in July 2024)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Paul CHUBYNSKYI/Mikhail VERBYTSKYI

Name

"Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence from Soviet Russia, and the date the short-lived Western and Greater (Eastern) Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day

National Symbol S

tryzub (trident); national colors: blue, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO] European Solidarity (BPP-Solidarity) [Petro POROSHENKO] Holos (Voice) [Sviatoslav VAKARCHUK] Opposition Bloc or OB [Evgeny MURAYEV] Opposition Platform-For Life [Yuriy BOYKO, Vadim RABINOVICH] Radical Party [Oleh LYASHKO] Samopomich (Self Reliance) [Andriy SADOVYY] Servant of the People [Oleksandr KORNIENKO] Svoboda (Freedom) [Oleh TYAHNYBOK]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Budget

Expenditures

31.55 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

29.82 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

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

Central Bank Discount Rate

23 December 2015

22%

31 January 2012

7.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

19.24%

31 December 2017

16.38%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$1.394 billion

2017

-$2.088 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$121.1 billion

31 December 2017

$130 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2009

28.2

2015

25.5

Economy 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 significant 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 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.

Exchange Rates

2013

11.8867

2014

21.8447

2015

25.5513

2016

25.5513

2017

26.71

Currency

hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$33.56 billion

2017

$39.69 billion

Exports Commodities

ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs

Exports Partners

Russia 9.2%, Poland 6.5%, Turkey 5.6%, India 5.5%, Italy 5.2%, China 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

47.9% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

20.4% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

66.5% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-55.6% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

16% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

4.7% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

12.2% (2017 est.)

Industry

28.6% (2017 est.)

Services

60% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$112.1 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$8,300

2016

$8,500

2017

$8,800

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$351.9 billion

2016

$360.5 billion

2017

$369.6 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

-9.8%

2016

2.4%

2017

2.5%

Gross National Saving

2015

17.7% of GDP

2016

20.2% of GDP

2017

18.9% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

21.6% (2015 est.)

Lowest 10

4.2%

Imports

2016

$40.5 billion

2017

$49.06 billion

Imports Commodities

energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports Partners

Russia 14.5%, China 11.3%, Germany 11.2%, Poland 7%, Belarus 6.7%, US 5.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

3.1% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

13.9%

2017

14.4%

Labor Force

17.99 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

5.8%

Industry

26.5%

Services

67.8% (2014)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2010

$39.46 billion

31 December 2011

$25.56 billion

31 December 2012

$20.71 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

3.8% (2016 est.)

Public Debt

2016

81.2% of GDP

2017

71% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$15.54 billion

31 December 2017

$18.81 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$19.49 billion

31 December 2017

$21.92 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$7.983 billion

31 December 2017

$7.59 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$64.95 billion

31 December 2017

$67.22 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$61.65 billion

31 December 2017

$63.63 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$19.49 billion

31 December 2017

$21.92 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

26.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

9.3%

2017

9.2%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

238.9 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

413 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

4,720 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

32,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

395 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

133.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

3.591 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

65% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

77 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

57.28 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

153.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

30.92 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

12.97 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

19.73 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

233,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

1,828 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

167,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

63,670 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

12 (2017 est.)

Total

5,239,743

Broadcast Media

Ukraine’s media landscape is dominated by oligarch-owned news outlets, which are often politically motivated and at odds with one another and/or the government; while polls suggest most Ukrainians still receive news from traditional media sources, social media is a crucial component of information dissemination in Ukraine; almost all Ukrainian politicians and opinion leaders communicate with the public via social media and maintain at least one social media page, if not more; this allows them direct communication with audiences, and news often breaks on Facebook or Twitter before being picked up by traditional news outlets Ukraine television serves as the principal source of news; the largest national networks are controlled by oligarchs: TRK Ukraina is owned by Rinat Akhmetov; Studio 1+1 is owned by Igor Kolomoisky; Inter is owned by Dmytro Firtash and Serhii Lyovochkin; and StarlightMedia channels (ICTV, STB, and Novyi Kanal) are owned by Victor Pinchuk; a set of 24-hour news channels also have clear political affiliations: 112-Ukraine and NewsOne tacitly support pro-Russian opposition and are believed to be controlled by political and business tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk; pro-Ukrainian government Channel 5 and Pryamyi are linked to President Petro Poroshenko; 24 and ZIK are owned by opposition, but not pro-Russian, politicians; UA: Suspilne is a public television station under the umbrella of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine; while it is often praised by media experts for balanced coverage, it lags in popularity; Ukrainian Radio, institutionally linked to UA: Suspilne, is one of only two national talk radio networks, with the other being the privately owned Radio NV (2019)

Communications Note

a sorting code to expeditiously handle large volumes of mail was first set up in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) in the 1930s; the sophisticated, three-part (number-letter-number) postal code system, referred to as an "index," was the world's first postal zip code; the system functioned well and was in use from 1932 to 1939 when it was abruptly discontinued

Internet Country Code

.ua

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

52.5% (July 2016 est.)

Total

23,202,067

Telephone System

Domestic

the country's former sole telephone provider, Ukrtelekom, was successfully privatized 2011 and independent foreign-invested private companies now provide substantial telecommunications services; fixed-line teledensity is 16 per 100; the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market that is now 127 mobile phones per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile-cellular system; Turkey and Russia have made investments to telecom market; competition available between 3 alternative operators; LTE services available; FttP networks taking over DSL platforms; political tensions have not added to growth and telecom regulators must not count Crimea numbers (Annexed by Russia in 2014); mobile broadband services present a growth opportunity (2018)

International

country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3 Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems; new cable to Crimean peninsula is operational

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

16 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

7,186,579

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

127 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

55,714,733

Airports

187 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

22 (2013)

2 438 To 3 047 M

42 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

3 (2013)

Over 3 047 M

13 (2013)

Total

108 (2013)

Under 914 M

28 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

5 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

5 (2013)

Total

79 (2013)

Under 914 M

69 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

UR (2016)

Heliports

9 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

container ship 1, general cargo 92, oil tanker 14, other 310 (2018)

Total

417

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

37,721,565 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

4,613,224 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

92 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

17 (2015)

Pipelines

36720 km gas, 4514 km oil, 4363 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Feodosiya (Theodosia), Illichivsk, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Yuzhnyy

Railways

Broad Gauge

21,684 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2014)

Standard Gauge

49 km 1.435-m gauge (49 km electrified) (2014)

Total

21,733 km (2014)

Roadways

Paved

166,095 km (includes 17 km of expressways) (2012)

Total

169,694 km (2012)

Unpaved

3,599 km (2012)

Waterways

1,672 km (most on Dnieper River) (2012)

Military And Security Forces

Armed Forces of Ukraine (Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny, ZSU): Ground Forces (Sukhoputni Viys’ka), Naval Forces (Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly, VMS), Air Forces (Povitryani Syly, PS), Air Assault Forces (Desantno-shturmovi Viyska, DShV); Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

3.02% of GDP

2015

3.97% of GDP

2016

3.67% of GDP

2017

3.5% of GDP

2018

3.78% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

20-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months (2019)

Disputes International

1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains unratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete and demarcation began in 2012; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov is suspended due to the occupation of Crimea by Russia; Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement officially delimiting their border in 1999, but the border has not been demarcated due to Moldova's difficulties with the break-away region of Transnistria; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's Transnistria Region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops; the ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

Illicit Drugs

limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Idps

1.5 million (Russian-sponsored separatist violence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine) (2019)

Stateless Persons

35,650 (2018); note - citizens of the former USSR who were permanently resident in Ukraine were granted citizenship upon Ukraine's independence in 1991, but some missed this window of opportunity; people arriving after 1991, Crimean Tatars, ethnic Koreans, people with expired Soviet passports, and people with no documents have difficulty acquiring Ukrainian citizenship; following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, thousands of Crimean Tatars and their descendants deported from Ukraine under the STALIN regime returned to their homeland, some being stateless and others holding the citizenship of Uzbekistan or other former Soviet republics; a 1998 bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan simplified the process of renouncing Uzbek citizenship and obtaining Ukrainian citizenship

Trafficking In Persons

Current Situation

Ukraine is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Ukrainian victims are sex trafficked within Ukraine as well as in Russia, Poland, Iraq, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Seychelles, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Moldova, China, the United Arab Emirates, Montenegro, UK, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, and other countries; small numbers of foreigners from Moldova, Russia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Azerbaijan were victims of labor trafficking in Ukraine; Ukrainian recruiters most often target Ukrainians from rural areas with limited job prospects using fraud, coercion, and debt bondage

Tier Rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Ukraine does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government’s focus on its security situation constrained its anti-trafficking capabilities; law enforcement efforts to pursue trafficking cases weakened in 2014, continuing a multi-year decline, and no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials were made, despite reports of official complicity in the sex and labor trafficking of children living in state-run institutions; fewer victims were identified and referred to NGOs, which continued to provide and to fund the majority of victims’ services (2015)