Ukraine's GDP decline in first four months of 2026 narrowed to 0.2% - PM
The decline in Ukraine’s real gross domestic product (GDP), which, according to the State Statistics Service, amounted to 0.5% in the first quarter of this year, has narrowed to 0.2% over the first four months, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported.
"After a decline in the first quarter, Ukraine’s GDP grew by 0.9% in April, according to the Ministry of Economy, which significantly reduced the negative GDP dynamics for the first four months of 2026 to 0.2%," she wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.
Svyrydenko clarified that growth is being demonstrated by domestic trade, the mining and processing industries, particularly the defense industry, the production of products necessary for energy recovery, and the food industry.
"After a tough February, recovery began in March. Some sectors are showing growth of over 10%... The Ukrainian economy continues to recover, despite the war, the consequences of a difficult winter, and constant Russian attacks on energy infrastructure," the head of government noted.
She recalled that, according to updated forecasts, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Ukraine’s GDP growth in 2026 to be 2%, while the World Bank expects it to be 1.2%.
As reported, in April the National Bank lowered its GDP growth forecast for this year to 1.3% from 1.8%.
The government’s forecast, included in the 2026 state budget, currently projects growth of 2.4%, but Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev recently announced plans to revise it downwards.
According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine’s GDP growth will slow to 1.8% in 2025, down from 2.9% in 2024 and 5.5% in 2023, following a 28.8% decline in 2022 – the first year of full-scale Russian aggression.
