The portfolio of new life insurance contracts written by companies in Ukraine for January–June 2026 exceeded last year’s results by 5%, generating a total of 664.7 million UAH, according to the website of the National Association of Insurers of Ukraine (NASU).
“A key feature of this period was the positive trend in stable cash flows. Ukrainians continue to show active interest in savings-oriented financial solutions,” the report notes.
In addition, regular premiums paid by customers under existing long-term policies increased by 12%. At the same time, significant progress was observed in the single-premium segment, which grew by 20%.
NASU also notes that during the reporting period, life insurance payouts rose by 33%, surpassing the 1 billion UAH mark. Of this amount, 66% consisted of payouts upon policy maturity (payouts for the “survivorship” risk), which is 41% more than a year earlier.
“This surge is entirely predictable: financial institutions are consistently fulfilling their commitments under traditional agreements concluded more than two decades ago. Upon receiving their preserved capital along with accumulated investment income, Ukrainians often reinvest this money in new insurance products,” the report states.
NASU also reports that for the first half of 2026, the ranking of life insurers by premiums collected is as follows: MetLife Insurance Company – 1.599 billion UAH (1.436 billion UAH); TAS Insurance Company – 525.7 million UAH (431.4 million UAH); “Grave Life” – 308.7 million UAH (283 million UAH); “PZU Life” – 205.3 million UAH (189.2 million UAH); “Arks Life” – 175.5 million UAH (168.9 million UAH).
Ranking by payouts: “MetLife” – 358 million UAH; TAS Insurance Company – 267.5 million UAH; “Grave Ukraine Life Insurance” – 240.3 million UAH; PZU Life – 43.1 million UAH; “Arks Life” – 37.3 million UAH.
As previously reported, as of July 1, 2026, there were 10 life insurance companies operating in Ukraine.
In the first half of 2026, 259,853 thousand deaths were recorded in Ukraine, which is 4% more than during the same period last year.
This is the first officially recorded increase in the number of deaths in the last five years, OpenDataBot reported on July 22, citing information from the Ministry of Justice.
As is traditional, the highest number of deaths was recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk region—28,386 thousand cases. This region accounted for nearly one in nine deaths in Ukraine.
In Kyiv, 20,121 thousand deaths were recorded over the six-month period. Compared to the first half of 2025, the figure in the capital increased by 11%—the largest increase among all regions.
For comparison, 249,002 thousand deaths were recorded in Ukraine during the first half of 2025, and 250,972 thousand in 2024.
DEMOGRAPHY, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, KYIV, MORTALITY, POPULATION
Traffic in downtown Kyiv will be temporarily restricted on Thursday due to security measures involving foreign delegations, according to the State Security Service.
“On July 23, due to security measures involving foreign delegations, temporary traffic restrictions will be in effect in the central part of Kyiv,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
A delegation from the Japanese Red Cross and representatives of the National Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) familiarized themselves with the implementation of joint humanitarian initiatives in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
“As part of the visit, the delegation visited the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Cardiology Center and the Pohonya Psychoneurological Residential Care Facility, where they observed the work of a mobile medical team operating as part of the ‘Comprehensive Support for Primary Health Care in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region’ program in collaboration with partner Medics Opika,” – the UCC reported on Facebook on Wednesday.
The guests paid particular attention to the mobile medical teams’ visits to geriatric facilities in the region. The purpose of these visits is to provide medical care to palliative care patients who require constant medical supervision due to chronic and severe illnesses. During these visits, patients receive primary medical care, necessary consultations, and support from specialized professionals.
The delegation also familiarized itself with the activities of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross. During the meetings, they discussed the results of ongoing programs, experiences of cooperation, and prospects for the further development of joint humanitarian projects aimed at supporting the region’s population.
“Cooperation with the Japanese Red Cross is a vital component of the development of the Ukrainian Red Cross’s humanitarian and medical programs in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Thanks to the support of our partners, we are able to expand access to quality primary health care, develop the work of mobile medical teams, and provide comprehensive support to people who, due to their health condition, require special attention and care,” the Ukrainian Red Cross noted.
JAPAN, MEDICINE, Prykarpattia, RED CROSS, Ukrainian Red Cross
China will gradually introduce a consumption tax on lithium and lithium-ion batteries, as well as solar cells, which have been exempt from taxation since 2015, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Mercury-free, nickel-metal hydride, lithium, and lithium-ion batteries, as well as vanadium flow batteries, will be taxed at a rate of 2% starting September 1, 2026. Starting in September 2027, the rate will increase to 4%.
For photovoltaic, or solar, cells, a 2% tax will take effect on April 1, 2027, and will also be raised to 4% starting in April 2028.
The new rules were announced by China’s Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration.
The introduction of the tax could increase the production costs of batteries and solar cells in China. If manufacturers pass on the additional costs entirely to buyers, selling prices could rise by approximately 2% in the initial phase and up to 4% once the rate is fully implemented.
However, the actual price increase will depend on competition, corporate profitability, and contracts with buyers. Chinese manufacturers may absorb part of the costs themselves to avoid losing market share in both domestic and foreign markets.
The changes will potentially affect the cost of electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and solar power plants, as batteries and photovoltaic modules are among the key components of such projects. At the same time, due to the high proportion of other costs, the price of a finished electric vehicle or solar power plant will not necessarily increase by the full 4%.
Some promising technologies will remain temporarily exempt from the tax until December 2028. These include sodium-ion and solid-state batteries, fuel cells, as well as perovskite, tandem, and gallium arsenide solar cells.
China currently levies a 4% consumption tax on most battery products. At the same time, lithium and lithium-ion batteries, as well as solar and fuel cells, have been exempt since 2015.
This policy has facilitated rapid expansion of production capacity and helped Chinese companies become global leaders. However, the excess supply has simultaneously intensified price competition and reduced profitability for some manufacturers.
Analysts at Citic Securities estimate that the tax changes could generate an additional 45 billion yuan, or about $6.6 billion, in revenue for the Chinese government.
Following the announcement of the new rules, shares of solar cell manufacturer Longi Green Energy Technology rose 2.1%, JinkoSolar’s rose 4%, and those of CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, rose 4.6%.
Muğla Province, home to the popular resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye, remains Turkey’s most expensive region for buying a home. As of June 2026, the average price per square meter there reached 85,182 thousand Turkish lira, or approximately $1,850.
The average price of a residential property in Muğla was 11.074 million lira, which is equivalent to approximately $240,000, according to the June report by Emlakjet and Endeksa.
Istanbul took second place in terms of price per square meter, with an average of 63,788 thousand lira. The average property in Turkey’s largest city is valued at approximately 7.017 million lira.
Antalya ranks third, where a square meter costs an average of 55,264 thousand lira, and a property costs about 6.079 million lira. Next are Izmir, with 52,677 thousand lira per square meter, and Çanakkale, with 52,634 thousand lira.
Aydın also made the list of regions with the highest average property prices. The average housing price in the province, which includes the resort towns of Kuşadası and Didim, reached 6.782 million lira, with a price per square meter of 50,238 thousand lira.
High prices in coastal regions are driven by the concentration of resort real estate, limited land supply in the most sought-after locations, the development of premium projects, and demand from buyers in other regions of Turkey and abroad.
Nationwide, the average price per square meter of housing at the end of June was 40,944 thousand lira, while a standard property with an area of approximately 125 square meters cost 5.118 million lira, or roughly $111 thousand. Over the past year, prices in the national currency rose by 22.3%.
However, when adjusted for inflation, Turkish housing became 7.6% cheaper over the year. A real decline was recorded in all 30 of the country’s largest provinces. In Istanbul, inflation-adjusted prices fell by 5.5%; in Antalya, by 4.1%; in Ankara, by 3.5%; and in Izmir, by 9.5%.
The average payback period for rental investments in Turkey is estimated at 13 years. In Muğla, it reaches 18 years; in Antalya, 16 years; in Istanbul, 12 years; and in Ankara, 11 years. The longer payback period for resort properties is due to the high purchase price relative to long-term rental income.
In June 2026, 129,979 residential properties were sold in Turkey, which is 15.8% more than a year earlier. The number of mortgage transactions increased by 72.1% to 25,993.
