In January–September 2026 Ukrainians bought 225.6 billion UAH more cash foreign currency than they sold, reported Member of Parliament Danylo Hetmantsev. This exceeds the difference for the same period last year by 16.9%.
The excess of purchases over sales in the cash segment directly relates to transactions at currency exchange offices, card operations and the ability to hold savings in foreign currency.
Volumes in September: purchases exceeded sales
In September the volume of cash currency purchases amounted to 93.2 billion UAH, while sales totalled 60.2 billion UAH, meaning purchases exceeded sales by 33 billion UAH for the month. More than a quarter of all cash foreign currency bought in September was in Kyiv.
The largest increase in purchase volumes compared with the previous period was recorded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast — 44%. In Kharkiv Oblast the figure rose by 34.9%, and in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast by 23.1%.
The MP’s comments and deposit statistics
Hetmantsev urged not to treat these data as sensational and explained people’s behaviour by the circumstances of the war: “these data should not be taken as sensational. In wartime Ukrainians seek to have savings they can use at any moment,” Hetmantsev said.
The MP also noted that the statistics do not show what part of the purchased currency people set aside and what they spend on current needs. According to him, Ukrainians continue to trust the banking system: as of 1 October the amount of household deposits had increased by 17.4% year on year.
Hetmantsev emphasised that the state’s task is to provide citizens with more reliable ways to store money: “These include cash foreign currency, bank deposits and government bonds. The key condition for this, he said, is trust: people must be confident that their savings are protected.”
