Who Hired the Most Employees Last Year?
OpenDataBot has compiled a ranking of the largest employers in 2026 based on companies’ financial reports. The top three remain unchanged, while the rest of the ranking has seen minor changes: Silpo has overtaken Ukrposhta. Overall, only six of the top ten companies increased their workforce last year.
Ukrzaliznytsia has remained the largest employer for over five years, but its workforce is gradually shrinking. Over the year, the company’s workforce decreased by 5%—to 169,952 employees. Overall, since the start of the full-scale war, the company’s workforce has decreased by 27% or 62,800 people.
Second place is held by ATB with 46,649 employees. Over the past year, the company expanded its team by 565 people (+1%), but since the start of the full-scale war, it has lost 14,133 employees (-23%).
“Over the past year, more than 2,300 new jobs were created at the corporation’s enterprises. On average, the company offers up to 200 job openings to job seekers every month. Current circumstances require us to improve work processes and increase labor productivity—in particular, the automation of many operational algorithms is proceeding at a rapid pace. Throughout these four difficult years of full-scale war, we are proud that, despite all the challenges, we have managed to retain the core of our teams at every retail location. “This is a victory for our store managers and their deputies, who directly organize the work of their subordinates on the ground,” — commented ATB.
Third place goes to Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine, which employs 39,444 people. Over the year, the company added 1,770 employees (+5%) — the largest growth among the top ten.
Silpo overtook Ukrposhta and rose to fourth place with 32,367 employees. Over the year, 1,001 people joined the team (+3%), but compared to 2021, the company lost 9,808 employees (-23%).
Ukrposhta, now in fifth place, has 31,739 employees—its headcount remained unchanged over the year, but the long-term decline is significant: a loss of 30,634 people (-49%) compared to 2021.
Nova Poshta holds the sixth position with 27,572 employees. Over the past year, the company’s workforce has not undergone any significant changes (+0.2%), while since 2021, its workforce has decreased by 2,218 employees (-7%). Nova Poshta explains that the overall reduction in staff is primarily due to the war, employee migration, and changes in operational processes. Going forward, the company’s focus is on retaining key employees and developing an internal talent pool.
“Right now, we’re prioritizing people development: investing in training, mental health support, flexible work arrangements, and expanding our pool of candidates, particularly by hiring veterans, IDPs, and older workers,” notes Anna-Maria Bondarenko, HR Director at Nova Poshta.
The largest percentage change in headcount over the year occurred at Energoatom: -6%. In total, since 2021, the company has lost 8,087 employees (-24%). Currently, according to financial reports, the company employs 25,740 people.
In eighth place is Lisy Ukrainy with 22,252 employees. Currently, the company has the status of “in the process of dissolution” due to a reorganization. At the same time, this company recorded the largest percentage decrease in staff among the top ten last year: -6% (-1,465 people).
Ninth place is held by Ukrnafta—19,583 employees. Over the year, the company grew by 657 people (+4%). However, since 2021, Ukrnafta’s workforce has decreased by 1,213 employees (–6%).
Rounding out the top ten is Ukrgazvydobuvannya with 17,794 employees: +477 people over the year (+3%). This is the only company in the top ten that has increased its workforce since the start of the full-scale war: +979 employees (+6%).
“We ensure Ukraine’s energy independence. Professional and motivated employees are our key asset, guaranteeing the company’s stability and the effective development of fields. Our challenge is to preserve and develop the team’s technical competencies, attract and train young people, and build an elite team for the exploration and development of hydrocarbon deposits,” comments Oleksandr Pimkin, Director of Human Capital at JSC “Ukrgazvydobuvannya.”
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/top-employer-2026
The Ukrainian passport has taken 28th place in the updated 2026 Henley Passport Index and grants visa-free access to 142 destinations. This is according to the global ranking by Henley & Partners.
Regionally, Ukraine ranks ahead of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Georgia.
Singapore remains the leader of the global ranking with 192 destinations offering visa-free or simplified entry. Japan, South Korea, and the UAE are tied for second place with 187 destinations, followed by a group of countries with 186.
Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Pakistan remain at the bottom of the ranking. The Afghan passport was again named the world’s weakest in the March edition of the index, with access to only 24 destinations.
For Ukraine, 28th place signifies the preservation of relatively strong international mobility even amid war and foreign policy turbulence. From a practical standpoint, this is important for labor migration, travel to Europe, business activity, and educational mobility.
The Henley Passport Index is one of the world’s most renowned passport power rankings. It is published by Henley & Partners based on data from IATA, the largest international database on visa regulations, and its own analysis. The index covers 199 passports and 227 destinations and assesses the number of countries and territories citizens can visit without a pre-arranged visa. That is why the ranking is widely used as an international benchmark for freedom of movement, although it reflects visa mobility rather than a country’s overall level of development.
The international consulting firm Henley & Partners has published its ranking of career opportunities for expats—the Henley Opportunity Index 2026—which covers 15 countries with well-established investment migration programs.
According to the study, the ranking includes the following countries: Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, and Greece.
Switzerland topped the ranking with a total score of 86 out of 100. It was followed by Singapore (81), Australia (80), the United Kingdom and the United States (79 each), Canada (78), Austria (69), and the UAE (68). Hong Kong and Italy tied for ninth place (65 points each), while Latvia and Malta tied for tenth (62 points each).
At the bottom of the list are Portugal (61 points) and Greece (59 points), which bring up the rear.
The study’s authors note that the index is not a global comparison of all countries in the world, but rather a selection of jurisdictions offering the most developed programs for obtaining residency or citizenship through investment or merit.
The ranking is based on six equally weighted criteria: potential income, career growth opportunities, access to jobs at leading companies, quality of education, economic mobility, and overall quality of life. The calculations use data from national statistical agencies as well as international organizations, including the IMF, OECD, and ILO, and global labor market rankings.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has published a ranking of the best physical culture and sports facilities in Ukraine based on the results of 2025.
“The assessment was based on the results of athletes’ participation in official international and all-Ukrainian sports competitions in 2025. The ranking includes 111 specialized Olympic reserve youth sports schools, 112 youth sports schools (among the five best in each region and the city of Kyiv), 33 schools of higher sportsmanship, 17 specialized sports education institutions, and 15 Olympic training centers,” the ministry said in a statement.
In particular, among the best specialized children’s and youth sports schools of the Olympic reserve are: Deryugin Children’s and Youth Sports School (Kyiv City Council), Sumy Regional Children’s and Youth Sports School “Dynamo” (Sumy Regional Council), and Vinnytsia Regional Children’s and Youth Sports School for Field Hockey “Olimpiya” (Vinnytsia Regional Council).
The best children’s and youth sports schools: Aqualider Children’s and Youth Sports School (Kyiv City State Administration), Brovary Children’s and Youth Sports School for Wushu and Martial Arts (Brovary City Council, Kyiv Region), and Karlivka Children’s and Youth Sports School (Poltava Region).
Best schools of higher sportsmanship: Kyiv School of Higher Sportsmanlike Conduct, Lviv Regional Council School of Higher Sportsmanlike Conduct, and Kyiv City School of Higher Sportsmanlike Conduct.
Best sports colleges: Lviv Sports College (Lviv Regional Council), Ivan Piddubny Olympic College (National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine), and Kharkiv Sports College (Kharkiv Regional Council).
The best sports lyceums: Kyiv Regional Lyceum of Physical Culture and Sports (Kyiv Regional Council), Kyiv Sports Lyceum, and Ivano-Frankivsk Sports Lyceum (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council).
The best Olympic training centers: State Center for Olympic Training in Winter Sports (Ivano-Frankivsk region), Olympic Training Center (Kyiv Regional Council), and State Center for Olympic Training in Synchronized Swimming and Diving (Kyiv).
It is noted that in the overall ranking among regions, the Department of Youth and Sports of the Kyiv City State Administration took first place, Kharkiv region took second place, and Lviv region took third place.
Detailed results of the ranking can be found at: https://mms.gov.ua/npas/pro-zatverdzhennia-reitynhu-z-olimpiiskykh-ta-neolimpiiskykh-vydiv-sportu-v-ukraini-za-2025-rik
As reported, in 2024, the ranking of the best physical education and sports institutions included: Regional Specialized Children’s and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve-2 (Kirovohrad Regional State Administration), Brovary Children’s and Youth Sports School of Wushu and Martial Arts (Brovary City Council, Kyiv Region), Kyiv School of Higher Sports Mastery, Lviv Professional College of Sports (Lviv Regional Council), Kyiv Regional Lyceum of Physical Culture and Sports (Kyiv Regional Council).
On February 10, 2026, Transparency International published the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025—an annual ranking of perceptions of corruption in the public sector. In the new release, Ukraine received 36 points out of 100 and ranked 104th out of 182 countries and territories.
Ukraine’s score increased by 1 point compared to the previous edition of the index. In CPI 2024, Ukraine had 35 points and ranked 105th (that edition assessed 180 countries and territories).
The TI report notes that Ukraine belongs to the group of countries that are gradually “moving from the bottom of the ranking toward the middle” thanks to long-term efforts to build an anti-corruption infrastructure. At the same time, the document describes 2025 as difficult for Ukraine—against the backdrop of high-profile scandals in procurement and the defense sector, but with an important emphasis: the exposure of violations and bringing cases to verdicts indicates that the new anti-corruption architecture “is delivering results.”
Overall, CPI 2025 records a further deterioration of the global picture: the world average score fell to 42 points, and more than two thirds of countries scored below 50 points. Denmark once again received the highest score (89), and at the bottom of the list are Somalia and South Sudan (9 each).
The CPI measures not “actual corruption,” but perceptions of the level of corruption in the public sector, aggregating data from expert assessments and business surveys on a 0–100 scale.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk tops the updated ranking of the world’s top 10 boxers published by The Ring.
It is noted that Usyk last entered the ring in July 2025, winning by knockout in the fifth round against Britain’s Daniel Dubois and becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion. Later, in November, Usyk voluntarily vacated the WBO belt.
In the updated rankings, Usyk rose from second place to first after American Terence Crawford ended his career. In general, all boxers in the rankings moved up one position, while American Oscar Collazo, the WBA and WBO world champion in the minimumweight division, entered the top 10.
Thus, the top three boxers in the world are Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, who competes in the heavyweight division, Japanese Naoya Inoue, who competes in the featherweight division, and American Jesse Rodriguez, who competes in the lightweight division.
