Factbook dossier
Background
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. 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. 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, the Russian Empire absorbed most Ukrainian territory. After czarist Russia collapsed in 1917, Ukraine -- which has long been known as the region's "bread basket" for its agricultural production -- achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but the country was reconquered and endured a Soviet rule that engineered two famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over eight million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for seven to eight million more deaths. In 1986, a sudden power surge during a reactor-systems test at Ukraine's Chernobyl power station triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, releasing massive amounts of radioactive material. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) dissolved, democracy and prosperity remained elusive, with the legacy of state control,…
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Area
total : 603,550 sq km land: 579,330 sq km water: 24,220 sq km note: Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, an area of approximately 27,000 sq km (10,400 sq miles)
Natural resources
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Natural hazards
occasional floods; occasional droughts
Population
total: 35,661,826 (2024 est.) male: 17,510,149 female: 18,151,677
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.)
Languages
Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, and Hungarian) 2.9% (2001 est.) major-language sample(s): Свiтова Книга Фактiв найкраще джерело базової інформації. (Ukrainian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish (2013 est.) note: Ukraine's population is overwhelmingly Christian; the vast majority - up to two thirds - identify themselves as Orthodox, but many do not specify a particular branch; the OCU and the UOC-MP each represent less than a quarter of the country's population, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church accounts for 8-10%, and the UAOC accounts for 1-2%; Muslim and Jewish adherents each compose less than 1% of the total population
Environmental issues
air and water pollution; land degradation; solid waste management; biodiversity loss; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 nuclear accident in Chornobyl'
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
name: Kyiv (Kiev is the transliteration from Russian) geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the origin of the name is unclear; traditionally, the name comes from a Prince Kiy, who is said to have founded the city in the 9th century
Executive branch
chief of state: President Volodymyr ZELENSKYY (since 20 May 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Yulia SVYRYDENKO (since 17 July 2025) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, approved by the Verkhovna Rada election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister selected by the Verkhovna Rada most recent election date: 31 March and 21 April 2019 election results: 2019: Volodymyr ZELENSKYY elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - 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%; percent of vote in the second round - Volodymyr ZELENSKYY 73.2%, Petro POROSHENKO 24.5%, other 2.3%; Denys SHMYHAL (independent) elected prime minister; Verkhovna Rada vote - 291-59 2014: Petro POROSHENKO elected president in first round; percent of vote - Petro POROSHENKO (independent) 54.5%, Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (Fatherland) 12.9%, Oleh LYASHKO (Radical Party) 8.4%, other 24.2%; Volodymyr HROYSMAN (BPP) elected prime minister; Verkhovna Rada vote - 257-50 expected date of next election: scheduled for March/April 2024, but n ot held because Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022 note: a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC was created in 1992 and tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a presidential administration helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 450 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 7/21/2019 parties elected and seats per party: Servant of the People (254); Opposition Platform - For Life (43); Fatherland (26); European Solidarity (25); Independents (46); Other (30) percentage of women in chamber: 21.2% expected date of next election: May 2025 note 1: the next legislative election is expected to take place after the Russian-Ukrainian War ends note 2: 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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$577.583 billion (2024 est.) $561.23 billion (2023 est.) $531.796 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$16,300 (2024 est.) $15,900 (2023 est.) $13,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6.5% (2024 est.) 12.8% (2023 est.) 20.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Poland 12%, Romania 9%, Turkey 7%, China 6%, Spain 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 16%, Poland 14%, Germany 8%, Turkey 6%, USA 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU; Zbroyni Syly Ukrayiny or ZSU): Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces, Air Assault Forces, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, Territorial Defense Forces (Reserves) Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (includes Maritime Border Guard or Sea Guard), National Police of Ukraine (2025) note 1: combat units of the National Guard, National Police, and Border Guards come under the control of the Armed Forces in wartime. note 2: the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were formally established in July 2021; the TDF evolved from former Territorial Defense Battalions and other volunteer militia and paramilitary units that were organized in 2014-2015 to fight Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas; in January 2022, the TDF was activated as a separate military branch note 3: collectively, the AFU and the forces under the Ministry of Interior are known as the Defense Forces of Ukraine (DFU)
Military expenditures
4% of GDP (2021 est.) 4.4% of GDP (2020 est.) 3.4% of GDP (2019 est.) 3.1% of GDP (2018 est.) 3.1% of GDP (2017 est.) note: since Russia's invasion of the country in early 2022, annual defense spending has increased to more than 30% of GDP according to some estimates