Business activity in Ukraine in 2024: which companies were opened and closed most often

Despite the difficult economic situation, entrepreneurial activity continued to develop in Ukraine in 2024. The largest number of new companies appeared in the fields of mechanical engineering, IT and telecommunications, while the largest number of company closures was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Poltava regions.

According to the YouControl study, 26 thousand new companies were registered in Ukraine during the year, which is 2.7% less than in 2023. At the same time, the number of liquidated companies decreased by 12.7% - to 3.3 thousand. The largest number of new companies was opened in Kyiv (9.2 thousand), Dnipropetrovsk (2.2 thousand) and Lviv regions (2.1 thousand). An active increase in the share of new companies was also noted in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Khmelnytsky regions.

The most popular business sector in Ukraine in 2024 remained wholesale trade – 3.4 thousand new companies were registered in this sector. Activity also increased significantly in the sectors of transport and logistics (2.3 thousand companies), real estate (2.2 thousand), construction (2.0 thousand) and agriculture (1.9 thousand). At the same time, mechanical engineering (+34% by 2023), IT (+24%) and telecommunications developed the most dynamically.

Analysts explain the development of mechanical engineering and telecommunications by the growth of demand for products of the MilTech sector, which produces high-tech equipment for defense. The increase in the number of IT companies is associated with the popularization of "Diya.City", which provides tax benefits and allows booking employees. And the growth in the electric power sector is due to the need to stabilize the energy system after attacks on infrastructure.

The largest number of companies ceased operations in Kyiv (528 enterprises), Dnipropetrovsk (395), Odesa (282), Lviv (239) and Kharkiv (201) regions. A particularly noticeable increase in liquidations was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk (+4.3 pp), Kharkiv (+1.3 pp) and Poltava (+1.0 pp) regions. At the same time, the share of closed companies in Odesa region decreased, which indicates a stabilization of business activity.

In general, the dynamics of opening and closing companies indicates that Ukrainian business continues to adapt to the challenges of war. The decrease in the number of liquidated enterprises, the growth of high-tech industries and the development of industries focused on the defense sector indicate a gradual transition of the economy to new development models.