In which industries and regions do Ukrainians start businesses during the war?

The full-scale war in Ukraine has not stopped the opening of new businesses. Over 700,000 sole proprietorships have been opened in the last three years alone. Find out which industries are most often opened and what you need to know about the statistics of doing business in the country in recent years

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The full-scale invasion did not stop the entrepreneurial activity of Ukrainians: since the beginning of the war, more than 763,000 new individual entrepreneurs have been registered in the Unified State Register. Despite the challenging economic environment and risks, people continue to start their own businesses, choosing the most popular areas and safe regions. In which industries and where exactly small businesses are developing in Ukraine during the war.

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Dynamics of opening and closing a sole proprietorship

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 763,759 new sole proprietorships have been established.

Over the past three years, 684,995 entrepreneurs have closed down. At the same time, according to Opendatabot, until the end of 2024, more sole proprietorships were opened in Ukraine every month than closed. However, at the end of 2024, the situation began to change, which experts attribute to an increased tax burden.

The record for closures was set in January 2025, when, after almost a month-long break in the registers, 61,455 sole proprietorships were closed, while only 21,358 entrepreneurs started their own businesses.

Industries: where new entrepreneurs go

🔺 Retail (28.1%). The most popular area among new businesses: 214.2 thousand individual entrepreneurs have chosen this type of activity. Trade in everyday goods and products remains in demand even during the war.

🔺 IT sector (9.1%). During the war, about 69.5 thousand new sole proprietorships in IT appeared. However, before the full-scale invasion, the number of IT sole proprietorships was almost twice as high per month. The slowdown was influenced by both the relocation of IT specialists abroad and general economic instability.

🔺 Wholesale trade (7.2%). About 54.6 thousand new entrepreneurs started a business in the wholesale sector. Trade in consumer goods, given the limited logistics and the military situation, still remains one of the most stable niches.

🔺 Postal and courier services. Compared to the pre-war period, the number of new businesses in the logistics and delivery sector has increased 3-fold. This is due to the growth of online sales and the active development of delivery services that help to maintain the sales market and overcome geographical restrictions.

🔺 Education. There are 2.6 times more new individual entrepreneurs in the education sector than before the war. The demand for online learning, courses, tutoring services, and retraining of specialists for new realities is driving the market for educational projects.

🔺 Finance. In the field of finance, the number of new individual entrepreneurs has increased by 2.5 times. This includes consulting services, accounting outsourcing, financial advice, etc.

On the contrary, fewer businesses were started

🔻 in the IT sector (although it is still in the top three, the growth rate has dropped);

🔻 in the field of auto/motorcycle trade - the demand for the purchase and maintenance of personal vehicles has decreased in the context of the war.

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Gender distribution

The full-scale war and mobilisation have affected the gender structure of individual entrepreneurs. While in January 2022, every second new sole proprietorship was started by a woman, the share of women-owned businesses has now reached 61%.

The largest percentage of women entrepreneurs among new sole proprietors was recorded in Khmelnytskyi (60.5%), Kirovohrad (60.1%), and Poltava (59.4%) regions.

Traditionally, women are more likely to start businesses in the service, education, and clothing sectors, while men dominate in construction, transport, and logistics.

Regions: where new businesses are registered

Kyiv (108,536 new sole proprietors)

The capital continues to be the centre of entrepreneurship: despite the risks, it has the highest level of demand for services, trade and IT.

Dnipro region (68,377)

A region with developed industry and logistics, which, despite its proximity to the war zone, remains one of the key business centres.

Lviv region (60,009)

As a relatively safe region, Lviv attracts entrepreneurs, including those relocated from the eastern regions.

Changing the ‘comfort map’

Regions close to the area of active hostilities have seen a significant decline in new business registration:

▪️ Luhansk region: -85% (data for January 2025 compared to January 2022)

▪️ Kherson region: -67%

▪️ Donetsk region: -60%

At the same time, the increase in the number of new sole proprietors is taking place in relatively safe and more distant regions from the frontline:

▪️ Rivne region: +25%.

▪️ Ivano-Frankivsk region: +10%

▪️ Chernihiv region: +10%.

Taxes and the contribution of individual entrepreneurs to the economy

During almost 3 years of full-scale war, individual entrepreneurs have paid UAH 126 billion to the budget. Despite the war, the amount of the single tax is growing every year (except for 2022):

- In 2021, the total amount was UAH 34.8 billion.

- In 2023 (according to the latest available data), revenues increased 1.6 times and reached UAH 55.1 billion.

Thus, even amid the hostilities, small businesses remain the most important driver of the Ukrainian economy, providing jobs, local market development and regular tax revenues.

We remind you! A new study shows that our country is inferior to Poland in terms of simplicity of regulatory procedures. We told you how Ukraine compares to other countries in terms of regulatory burden, why starting a business is more difficult but running a business is easier, and what reforms could improve the situation.

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