GDP per Capita · Data & Comparison
Ukraine GDP per Capita
How rich is Ukraine per person? Nominal vs PPP income explained.
Ukraine’s GDP per capita in 2024 was $5,554 in nominal terms, while the PPP-adjusted figure was $19,135. This gap reflects the lower price level in Ukraine relative to the United States, where PPP is the benchmark. The nominal measure, converted at market exchange rates, is sensitive to exchange-rate movements and inflation differentials, whereas the PPP measure adjusts for purchasing power and is preferred for comparing living standards across countries. Over the past three decades, income per person has been highly volatile. From a 1990 nominal level of $1,564, it collapsed to $648 in 1999, then rose to $5,554 by 2024. The PPP series shows a similar trajectory but with smaller percentage swings: from $7,591 in 1990 to $4,324 in 1999, and $19,135 in 2024. The 2020s have seen a recovery, with nominal GDP per capita growing 48.3% and PPP 21.9% since 2020. This page examines the current figures, the long-run series, the drivers behind these numbers, and how Ukraine compares with peers, using data from 1980 onwards.
What is GDP per capita (nominal)?
GDP per capita is a country's GDP divided by its midyear population. It is the most common shorthand for average income or output per person.
How it is measured. Nominal GDP in current US dollars divided by midyear population. Because it uses market exchange rates, it ignores price-level differences between countries and says nothing about how income is distributed.
How to read it. Use it to compare average economic output per person. A high value can reflect high productivity or a small population with large resource or financial income, and it is not the same as median household income.
Source: World Bank WDI. See our methodology.
Current GDP per capita: nominal and PPP
Latest nominal and PPP estimates
Ukraine's nominal GDP per capita reached USD 5,554.23 in 2024, up from USD 3,744.92 in 2020, a rise of 48.3 per cent across the five years. The PPP measure stood at USD 19,134.65 in 2024, against USD 15,690.92 in 2020, a gain of 21.9 per cent. The gap between the two figures is a factor of roughly 3.4, and it reflects the difference between market exchange rates and purchasing power parities rather than any inconsistency in the underlying output data.
What the two measures capture
Nominal GDP per capita converts output at prevailing exchange rates. It is the figure used in cross-border comparisons of income, debt servicing capacity and dollar-denominated living standards. PPP GDP per capita adjusts for the relative price of goods and services, so it better reflects what a resident can actually buy domestically. Ukraine's PPP-to-nominal ratio of about 3.4 is high by European standards, consistent with a price level well below the euro area average. Both series derive from the same national accounts, with total GDP at USD 190.71 billion in 2024.
Why both matter for Ukraine
Nominal income governs external metrics. GNI per capita, at USD 5,210 in 2024, sits close to the nominal GDP figure and underpins concessional lending terms and EU comparison benchmarks. PPP income governs domestic welfare comparisons and productivity analysis. The divergence matters in practice: a nominal reading of USD 5,554 places Ukraine among lower-middle-income economies, while USD 19,135 on a PPP basis is closer to several EU member states. Analysts citing only one measure will draw materially different conclusions about household capacity and convergence.
Recent trajectory and caveats
The 2020s expansion follows a deep contraction. Real GDP fell 28.76 per cent in 2022, and the 2024 growth rate of 2.91 per cent indicates recovery rather than full restoration of pre-war output. Nominal per capita growth of 48.3 per cent since 2020 therefore combines real recovery, inflation and exchange-rate effects, and should not be read as a pure welfare gain. PPP per capita rose from USD 15,637.83 in 2021 to USD 19,134.65 in 2024, a slower 21.9 per cent, partly because price levels have converged upward. Population decline also mechanically lifts per capita values, since the denominator has fallen.
Comparison with earlier decades
For context, nominal GDP per capita fell 58.5 per cent during the 1990s, from USD 1,563.63 in 1990 to USD 648.45 in 1999. The 2000s recovery was sharp, with growth of 291.9 per cent to USD 2,582.18 by 2009. The 2010s added 21.3 per cent, ending at USD 3,653.85 in 2019. The 2024 nominal figure of USD 5,554.23 is therefore the highest in the series, though the PPP series, which begins in 1990 at USD 7,590.54, shows a longer and less linear path to USD 19,134.65.
Latest GDP per capita and related income measures, 2024
| Measure | Value (USD) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita (nominal) | 5,554 | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | 19,135 | 2024 |
| GNI per capita (nominal) | 5,210 | 2024 |
| GDP (nominal, billions) | 190.7 | 2024 |
The long arc: GDP per capita by decade since 1980
Ukraine's GDP per capita in current US dollars stood at 5,554.23 in 2024, up from 1,244.04 in 1987, the first year in the series. The path between those two points was not monotonic. Nominal GDP per capita rose 28.1 per cent across the three recorded years of the late 1980s, from 1,244.04 to 1,593.08, before the transition shock of the 1990s reversed most of that gain.
The 1990s contraction
Between 1990 and 1999, GDP per capita fell 58.5 per cent, from 1,563.63 to 648.45, the lowest value in the entire series. The decade mean was 1,005.63. The collapse tracked a 60.5 per cent fall in aggregate GDP over the same period, from 81.39 billion to 32.12 billion US dollars. GDP growth averaged minus 8.93 per cent per year across the decade, with the sharpest single-year contraction at minus 22.9 per cent. GNI per capita fell 52.5 per cent, from 1,600 to 760 US dollars.
The 2000s rebound
The 2000s produced the strongest expansion on record. GDP per capita rose 291.9 per cent, from 658.84 in 2000 to 2,582.18 in 2009, peaking at 3,981.27 within the decade. GNI per capita grew 313.2 per cent over the same span, from 680 to 2,810 US dollars. Average annual GDP growth was 4.73 per cent. The decade closed under strain: growth of minus 15.12 per cent in 2009 reflected the global financial crisis, and the nominal per capita figure ended well below its intra-decade peak.
The 2010s slowdown
Growth moderated sharply in the 2010s. GDP per capita rose 21.3 per cent across the decade, from 3,011.22 in 2010 to 3,653.85 in 2019, with a decade mean of 3,138.99 and a trough of 2,114.62. Average annual GDP growth fell to 0.32 per cent, and the minimum single-year reading was minus 9.77 per cent. GNI per capita advanced only 9.4 per cent, from 2,990 to 3,270 US dollars. The 2014 conflict and the associated currency adjustment fall within this period.
The 2020s to date
The 2020s show a nominal recovery. GDP per capita rose 48.3 per cent between 2020 and 2024, from 3,744.92 to 5,554.23, the highest value in the series, with a five-year mean of 4,760.79. GNI per capita increased 47.6 per cent, from 3,530 to 5,210 US dollars. Aggregate GDP reached 190.71 billion US dollars in 2024. Average annual growth over the period was minus 4.12 per cent, reflecting a contraction of 28.76 per cent in 2022 followed by partial recovery, including 2.91 per cent growth in 2024.
Purchasing power comparison
GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) offers a different scale. The 2024 PPP value was 19,134.65, against 5,554.23 at current exchange rates. The PPP series fell 43.0 per cent in the 1990s, from 7,590.54 to 4,324.46, then rose 89.1 per cent in the 2000s and 51.9 per cent in the 2010s. Between 2020 and 2024 it gained 21.9 per cent, from 15,690.92 to 19,134.65. The PPP series begins in 1990, so no late Soviet comparison is available.
Decade averages and endpoints for GDP per capita (nominal and PPP)
| Decade | Nominal first (USD) | Nominal last (USD) | Nominal growth (%) | PPP first (USD) | PPP last (USD) | PPP growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,244 (1987) | 1,593 (1989) | 28.1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1990s | 1,564 (1990) | 648 (1999) | -58.5 | 7,591 (1990) | 4,324 (1999) | -43.0 |
| 2000s | 659 (2000) | 2,582 (2009) | 291.9 | 4,725 (2000) | 8,934 (2009) | 89.1 |
| 2010s | 3,011 (2010) | 3,654 (2019) | 21.3 | 9,449 (2010) | 14,350 (2019) | 51.9 |
| 2020s | 3,745 (2020) | 5,554 (2024) | 48.3 | 15,691 (2020) | 19,135 (2024) | 21.9 |
What drives Ukraine’s income per person
Export dependence and output volatility
Ukraine’s income per person is unusually exposed to swings in external demand for steel, iron ore and agricultural commodities. GDP per capita fell from USD 1,563.6 in 1990 to USD 648.5 in 1999, a decline of 58.5 per cent, while total GDP contracted 60.5 per cent over the same decade. The 2000s reversed this: GDP per capita rose 291.9 per cent from USD 658.8 in 2000 to USD 2,582.2 in 2009, and GDP grew 268.8 per cent. The 2008 to 2009 crisis cut real output by 15.1 per cent in 2009, showing how commodity price cycles transmit directly to household income.
Demographics and the labour base
Population decline and emigration reduce the denominator and the workforce simultaneously. GDP per capita of USD 5,554.2 in 2024 was achieved on a smaller population than in 2010, when the figure was USD 3,011.2. GNI per capita followed a similar path, from USD 2,990 in 2010 to USD 5,210 in 2024, a 9.4 per cent rise across the 2010s against 47.6 per cent across the 2020s. A shrinking labour force raises measured income per head only if output holds, which constrains the reading of headline convergence.
Energy intensity and capital stock
Heavy industry and subsidised energy have kept output per unit of capital low. GDP per capita at purchasing power parity reached USD 19,134.6 in 2024, against USD 5,554.2 at market exchange rates, a ratio of roughly 3.4 to 1 that reflects low domestic price levels and an underevalued currency. PPP income rose 21.9 per cent across the 2020s, from USD 15,690.9 in 2020, but the 1990s saw a 43.0 per cent fall, from USD 7,590.5 to USD 4,324.5, evidence that capital stock losses persist across decades.
Debt, institutions and reconstruction
Fiscal and external borrowing have financed gaps that domestic revenue could not close. Real GDP fell 28.8 per cent in 2022 and 3.8 per cent in 2020, the two largest contractions of the 2020s, before growth of 2.9 per cent in 2024. Total GDP of USD 190.7 billion in 2024 remains below the 2021 peak of USD 199.8 billion. Institutional weakness, measured through governance indicators and investment climate surveys, keeps the incremental capital output ratio high and limits the conversion of aid inflows into sustained income growth.
Summary of structural weights
- Export concentration: commodity cycles drove a 58.5 per cent income fall in the 1990s and a 291.9 per cent rise in the 2000s.
- Demographics: a smaller population lifts per capita figures without equivalent output gains.
- Energy intensity: PPP to market-rate income ratio of 3.4 to 1 signals price and productivity gaps.
- Debt and institutions: GDP of USD 190.7 billion in 2024 sits below the 2021 level of USD 199.8 billion.
Key growth and income indicators, selected years
| Year | GDP per capita (USD) | GDP growth (%) | GNI per capita (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,564 | -6.3 | 1,600 |
| 2000 | 659 | 5.9 | 680 |
| 2010 | 3,011 | 4.1 | 2,990 |
| 2020 | 3,745 | -3.8 | 3,530 |
| 2024 | 5,554 | 2.9 | 5,210 |
How Ukraine compares with peers and what GDP per capita misses
Regional positioning
Ukraine's GDP per capita reached USD 5,554 in 2024, up from USD 3,745 in 2020, a 48.3 per cent increase across five years. In purchasing power parity terms the figure was USD 19,135 in 2024, against USD 15,691 in 2020. Both measures place Ukraine below the European Union average and below several Central European peers that began the 1990s at comparable income levels. Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic recorded GDP per capita above USD 20,000 in nominal terms by the mid-2020s, while Ukraine remained near USD 5,554.
The gap is not recent. Ukraine's nominal GDP per capita fell from USD 1,564 in 1990 to USD 648 in 1999, a 58.5 per cent decline. Over the same decade GDP per capita at PPP dropped 43.0 per cent, from USD 7,591 to USD 4,324. Regional peers that avoided hyperinflation and sustained reform during the 1990s did not experience contractions of this scale. The 2000s recovery, with nominal GDP per capita rising 291.9 per cent between 2000 and 2009, narrowed but did not close the distance.
GNI per capita and the income gap
Gross national income per capita stood at USD 5,210 in 2024, below the GDP per capita figure of USD 5,554. The difference of roughly USD 344 reflects net factor income flows, including remittances and returns on foreign-owned capital. GNI per capita grew 47.6 per cent from USD 3,530 in 2020, closely tracking GDP per capita, which suggests that the gap between domestic output and national income has been broadly stable across the 2020s.
Across the 1990s GNI per capita fell 52.5 per cent, from USD 1,600 in 1990 to USD 760 in 1999, a deeper contraction than the 58.5 per cent fall in nominal GDP per capita over the same period when measured from the decade's first to last year. The 2010s were weaker still for income growth: GNI per capita rose 9.4 per cent between 2010 and 2019, while nominal GDP per capita rose 21.3 per cent. The divergence points to a period in which output growth did not translate proportionally into household income.
What the averages conceal
A single per capita figure cannot capture the distribution of income or the concentration of output in capital-intensive sectors. Ukraine's economy has historically been weighted towards agriculture and heavy industry, sectors with high output per worker but limited wage pass-through to the wider population. Regional variation is also substantial: the gap between Kyiv and western or eastern oblasts routinely exceeds the national average by a wide margin, and no single national figure reflects this spread.
- Nominal GDP per capita of USD 5,554 in 2024 compares with USD 19,135 at PPP, a ratio of roughly 3.4 to 1.
- GNI per capita of USD 5,210 in 2024 is 6.2 per cent below GDP per capita.
- GDP growth of 2.9 per cent in 2024 followed a 28.8 per cent contraction in 2022, the sharpest single-year fall in the 2020s series.
These figures describe an economy recovering from a severe shock while remaining well below the income levels of its western neighbours. Per capita averages capture the aggregate direction but not the pace at which recovery reaches households, nor the regional and sectoral unevenness that shapes lived income.
GNI per capita and GDP per capita in selected years
| Year | GDP per capita (USD) | GNI per capita (USD) | GNI as % of GDP per capita |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,564 | 1,600 | 102.3 |
| 2000 | 659 | 680 | 103.2 |
| 2010 | 3,011 | 2,990 | 99.3 |
| 2020 | 3,745 | 3,530 | 94.3 |
| 2024 | 5,554 | 5,210 | 93.8 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Ukraine's GDP per capita in current US dollars?
Ukraine's GDP per capita in current US dollars was about $5,181 in 2023, up from roughly $4,535 in 2022, according to World Bank data. The 2022 figure marked a sharp fall of more than 20 per cent in dollar terms, reflecting the full-scale invasion, population displacement and exchange-rate effects. The 2023 recovery reflected resumed external financing, a better harvest and partial stabilisation of the exchange rate. Dollar figures remain well below the 2021 level of about $4,836 in constant terms. Comparisons with European Union averages should be treated with caution, because a large share of output and income is not captured in official national accounts during wartime.
What is Ukraine's GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power?
On a purchasing power parity basis, Ukraine's GDP per capita was about $14,300 in 2023, against roughly $12,900 in 2022, according to IMF estimates. The PPP measure is higher than the dollar figure because domestic prices for non-traded goods and services are lower than in advanced economies. Even so, the PPP level remains among the lowest in Europe, at roughly one-third of the EU average. The gap between the dollar and PPP figures, above $9,000 in 2023, reflects the low domestic price level and the effect of the hryvnia exchange rate on dollar conversions. PPP estimates for wartime years carry wider margins than usual.
How much did Ukraine's GDP per capita fall after the 2022 invasion?
Ukraine's real GDP fell by about 29 per cent in 2022, the deepest annual contraction in the country's independent history. GDP per capita in constant prices dropped from roughly $4,836 in 2021 to about $3,400 in 2022, a decline of close to 30 per cent. The fall reflected physical destruction of capital, disruption of logistics, the loss of territory and the displacement of several million people. Output stabilised in 2023, with real GDP growth of about 5.3 per cent, and per capita income recovered only part of the 2022 loss. By 2023 constant-price GDP per capita remained below the 2021 level by a double-digit margin.
How does Ukraine's GDP per capita compare with neighbouring countries?
Ukraine's GDP per capita in current dollars, about $5,181 in 2023, is well below Poland's figure of roughly $22,000 and Romania's of about $18,400 in the same year. On a PPP basis the gap narrows but does not close: Ukraine's roughly $14,300 compares with about $45,000 for Poland. The comparison with Moldova, at about $6,600 in current dollars in 2023, is closer, though Ukraine remains the lower of the two. These gaps reflect differences in capital stock, productivity and institutional quality accumulated over three decades, and they widened after 2022. Pre-war convergence with Central European incomes had been slow, at well under 2 percentage points a year.
What share of Ukraine's GDP per capita comes from agriculture and industry?
Agriculture accounted for about 8 per cent of Ukraine's gross value added in 2023, and industry for roughly 20 per cent, with services making up the remainder. The structure has shifted since 2021, when agriculture was close to 10 per cent and manufacturing and mining together exceeded 22 per cent. War damage to steel plants in the east cut industrial output sharply, while grain exports recovered through Danube and Black Sea routes. Employment in agriculture remains higher than its output share, at around 14 per cent of workers, which holds back measured GDP per capita relative to the sector's contribution to exports, about 40 per cent of goods exports in 2023.
What is Ukraine's GDP per capita forecast for 2024 and 2025?
The IMF projects Ukraine's nominal GDP per capita at about $5,500 in 2024 and $6,100 in 2025, assuming continued external financing and no major escalation. Real GDP growth is forecast at roughly 3 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent in 2025, after about 5.3 per cent in 2023. These projections are unusually uncertain: a single year of war damage or a delay in disbursements can move the outcome by several percentage points. Population estimates also matter, since per capita figures depend on the number of residents, which official statistics place near 36 million but which independent estimates put lower. Forecast revisions have been frequent since 2022.