Ukraine’s IT export sector is under growing pressure from the outflow of specialists and partial relocation of companies. An analysis by Diia.City Union and Juscutum estimates that about one hundred twenty thousand Ukrainian IT professionals are abroad, with roughly half of them still working remotely for Ukrainian companies.
The situation is complex rather than one-dimensional. Many specialists remain connected to Ukrainian employers, but the longer relocation lasts, the higher the risk that contracts, taxes and management structures will move to foreign jurisdictions. For an export-oriented sector, this can gradually change where value is recorded.
Export revenue and legal presence
The analysis notes that Ukraine’s IT services export decreased from about seven point three billion dollars in 2022 to six point seven billion in 2023 and six point four five billion in 2024. Part of the decline reflects war conditions, market cooling and company restructuring. Another risk is that up to one fifth of export activity may eventually be routed through foreign legal entities.
Poland remains one of the most popular relocation destinations for Ukrainian startups, while the United Arab Emirates is also competing for teams and founders. Some companies have partially or fully moved operations abroad, and a small share is considering closing offices in Ukraine entirely.
For Ukraine, the challenge is to keep the sector anchored at home without ignoring the reality of global teams. Stable tax rules, predictable Diia.City guarantees, security and access to clients will all matter if the country wants IT export to remain a major source of foreign revenue.
