Record Number of Registrations Amid High Closures
In the first nine months of 2025, 225,000 new individual entrepreneurs (FOPs) were registered in Ukraine — nearly the same as in the same period last year.
At the same time, 213,000 entrepreneurs closed their businesses, 11% more than in 2024. Among the closed cases, over 45,000 were newly registered just last year.
These figures come from Opendatabot, citing the Unified State Register.
Women Lead in New Entrepreneurship
A striking feature of 2025 is the active role of women in entrepreneurship:
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6 out of 10 new businesses were registered by women.
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In Sumy region, the figure is even higher — 63%.
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Women most often enter the services, education, clothing production, and healthcare sectors.
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Men dominate in courier delivery, logistics, construction, and equipment repair.
Foreigners Increasingly Active in Ukraine
Foreign nationals also continue to expand their business presence. This year, 1,648 new entrepreneurs were registered by non-residents, most of them citizens of:
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Azerbaijan
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Russia
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Uzbekistan
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Moldova
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Armenia
This trend highlights Ukraine’s role as a regional hub for small business initiatives, even during wartime.
Regional Distribution of Entrepreneurs
The largest number of new entrepreneurs were registered in:
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Kyiv – 30,500
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Dnipropetrovsk region – 22,200
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Lviv region – 17,200
At the same time, most closures occurred in:
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Kyiv – 27,500
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Dnipropetrovsk region – 19,100
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Kharkiv region – 17,700
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Odesa region – 16,100
Most Popular Business Sectors
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Retail trade – 29% of all new registrations
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Wholesale trade – 8%
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IT, restaurants, and information services also saw strong growth
Closures, however, largely mirrored the same sectors, reflecting the high competition and risks in these industries.
✅ Bottom line: Despite war-related challenges and high closure rates, women and foreign entrepreneurs are emerging as key drivers of new business activity in Ukraine, particularly in services, trade, and education. This shift highlights both the resilience of Ukrainian society and the country’s openness to foreign business initiatives.
