In the first half of 2026, Ukrainians registered 30,488 thousand marriages online, or about 38% of the total, OpenDataBot reported on July 31, citing data from the Ministry of Justice. Thus, nearly four out of ten couples used the remote marriage registration procedure. In total, 79,516 thousand marriages were registered in Ukraine from January through June.
Digital offices for civil status registration are currently operating in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. These cities and their respective regions showed the largest increase in the number of registered marriages.
In Kyiv, the number increased by 38% compared to the first half of 2025; in the Dnipropetrovsk region, it increased 2.7-fold; and in the Lviv region, it increased 1.9-fold. OpenDataBot suggests that this trend is largely due to the spread of online registration.
The remote format is particularly important for military personnel, couples living in different cities or countries, and Ukrainians who are unable to visit a Civil Registry Office in person.
At the same time, in most other regions, the number of registered marriages decreased compared to the same period last year.
Civil Registry Office, marriage, ONLINE, REGISTRATION, UKRAINE
In Ukraine, 79,516 thousand marriages were registered from January through June 2026, which is 16% more than during the same period last year, OpenDataBot reported on July 31, citing data from the Ministry of Justice.
On average, about 13,300 couples got married each month in Ukraine during the first half of the year. At the same time, the total number of marriages for the year may turn out to be significantly higher, as Ukrainians traditionally tend to register their marriages more often in the second half of the year. In 2025, the difference between the two halves of the year was 41%.
The most popular date in the first half of the year was June 26, 2026. On the palindromic date of 06/26/2026, 2,528 thousand couples registered their marriages. Another 1,248 thousand couples got married on February 14, Valentine’s Day.
The increase in the total number of marriages was largely driven by Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions. These three regions accounted for more than half of all marriages registered in the country.
One of the main factors was the expansion of remote civil registration: four out of ten marriages in the first half of the year were registered online.
Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions accounted for more than half of all marriages registered in Ukraine in the first half of 2026. In total, 79,516 marriages were registered nationwide over the six-month period, OpenDataBot reported on July 31, citing data from the Ministry of Justice.
The highest number of marriages was registered in Kyiv—19,928, or approximately one in four of the total. Compared to the same period last year, the capital’s figure rose by 38%.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, 15,545 thousand couples got married. This is 2.7 times more than in the first half of 2025. Lviv Oblast ranked third with 8,909 thousand marriages, marking a 1.9-fold increase.
In fact, these three regions accounted for about 56% of all marriages registered in the country.
One possible explanation for this concentration may be the operation of the Digital Civil Registry Offices in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. During the first half of the year, 30,488 thousand couples got married remotely.
In other regions, the number of marriages mostly decreased. This means that official regional statistics reflect not only the place of residence of the newlyweds but also the concentration of the digital infrastructure for civil registration.
In 2025, Ukraine remained the fifth-largest supplier of organic products to the EU, although its export volume decreased by 14.3%—from 203,897 thousand to 174,701 thousand metric tons. Ukraine’s share of the EU’s total organic imports was 5.9%.
The largest suppliers were Ecuador with 434,970 thousand metric tons, China with 314,404 thousand metric tons, Peru with 220,333 thousand metric tons, and the Dominican Republic with 177,642 thousand metric tons. Ukraine ranked behind them.
Ukraine retained its top position in organic grain exports. In 2025, the EU imported 85,859 thousand metric tons of such products from Ukraine, accounting for 27.7% of European imports in this category.
In terms of oilseeds and protein crops, Ukraine ranked third behind China and Togo, supplying 48,828 thousand metric tons. Exports of organic fruits and nuts totaled 20,250 thousand metric tons, placing Ukraine in ninth place.
A prolonged heat wave is expected in Ukraine in early August, which could significantly increase the strain on both people’s health and the country’s power grid.
According to the Ministry of Energy, rising temperatures as early as next week could increase electricity consumption by approximately 1 GW. The ministry is preparing to boost domestic power generation and electricity imports, has adjusted maintenance schedules at power plants, and is considering implementing power restrictions for industry and businesses. Consumers are asked to use electricity sparingly during peak hours from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
According to the latest forecast, the most intense heat is expected from August 1 through August 5. In Uzhhorod, temperatures may reach 36–38 degrees; in Lviv, 34–36 degrees; in Vinnytsia, around 36 degrees; and in Kyiv, up to 35 degrees.
In Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, temperatures are forecast to be mostly 32–34 degrees during the first half of the week. In Odesa and the surrounding region, temperatures will rise gradually and may reach 32–34 degrees by August 4–5. Forecasts may still be adjusted, especially given the possibility of localized thunderstorms.
How to Prepare Your Home
Before the hottest days begin, it is recommended to check that your air conditioner, refrigerator, ventilation system, and chargers are working properly. You should charge portable chargers, flashlights, and other backup power sources in advance, as localized emergency power outages are possible when the load on the grid increases.
During the day, it’s best to keep windows, curtains, and blinds closed, especially on the sunny side. It is more effective to ventilate rooms at night and early in the morning, when the outside air is cooler. The WHO recommends, whenever possible, keeping the temperature in living spaces below 32 degrees during the day and 24 degrees at night, especially if there are elderly people, young children, or people with chronic illnesses in the home.
Air conditioning should be used with windows and doors closed, without creating too great a difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures. During the hottest hours of the day, it is best to stay in the coolest room; if air conditioning is not available, spend two to three hours in a shopping center, library, government building, or other accessible air-conditioned facility.
Residents of private homes are advised to fill containers with non-potable water in advance, check pumps and irrigation systems, but avoid stockpiling excessive amounts of drinking water. It is sufficient to have a reserve in case of short-term outages.
How to Reduce the Load on the Power Grid
The main peak in electricity consumption is expected between 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. During this time, it is advisable not to run the air conditioner, washing machine, water heater, electric stove, dishwasher, and other high-power appliances simultaneously. It is better to postpone laundry, water heating, and charging electronic devices until the morning, daytime, or night.
You can turn on the air conditioner in advance, before the evening peak, and then maintain a moderate temperature.
Closed curtains, exterior blinds, and early-morning ventilation help reduce the heating of the room and shorten the operating time of cooling equipment.
Open the refrigerator less frequently and avoid placing hot food inside. In the event of a possible power outage, a closed refrigerator will maintain a safe temperature for longer.
How to Protect Your Health
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health recommends avoiding direct sunlight and strenuous physical activity during the hottest hours of the day—approximately from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is best to schedule walks, workouts, construction work, and gardening for early morning or evening.
You should drink water regularly in small amounts, without waiting until you feel very thirsty. It’s best to choose water and beverages without sugar or caffeine, and to limit your intake of alcohol, large amounts of coffee, energy drinks, and fatty or heavy foods. People with heart or kidney conditions who have restricted fluid intake should follow their doctor’s recommendations.
When outdoors, it is recommended to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing made of natural fabrics, a hat, and sunglasses, and to protect exposed skin with SPF sunscreen. Keep in mind that in direct sunlight, the perceived temperature can be 10–15 degrees higher than in the shade.
Special attention should be given to the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and people with cardiovascular, respiratory, or kidney diseases, as well as diabetes. The WHO notes that heat can worsen the course of chronic diseases and increase the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Relatives and neighbors are advised to check on elderly people living alone every day to ensure they have water, medication, a means of communication, and access to a cool room. Children and pets must not be left in a locked car, even for a few minutes.
How to Prepare Medications and Food
Medications must be stored according to the instructions. Medications that require refrigerated storage should be placed in the refrigerator in advance, or a cooler bag and ice packs should be prepared in case of a power outage. Do not adjust medication dosages on your own during a heat wave.
It’s best to buy perishable foods in small quantities. Meat, fish, dairy products, ready-to-eat meals, and cream-filled pastries require special attention. It’s not recommended to buy food at informal markets or to eat food that has been left unrefrigerated for a long time.
It’s best to prepare meals in the morning or evening to avoid further heating your apartment and increasing energy consumption during the evening peak hours.
When Urgent Help Is Needed
The first signs of heat exhaustion may include weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea, extreme thirst, rapid heartbeat, and muscle cramps.
Confusion, loss of consciousness, a very high body temperature, and hot skin may indicate heatstroke. In this case, you must immediately call emergency medical services, move the person to the shade or a cool room, remove any excess clothing, and begin gently cooling them with damp towels or cool water.
Prolonged heat poses no less of a danger than individual temperature records. Therefore, it is best to prepare your home, medications, a water supply, and energy-saving measures before the start of the hottest period, August 1–5.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine has completed a significant portion of its negotiations and discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and will soon adopt and announce a new, substantial package of foreign exchange liberalization measures. As NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy stated during a press briefing on Thursday, the upcoming liberalization measures will apply to both individuals and businesses.
“We have completed a significant portion of the negotiations and discussions with our colleagues at the International Monetary Fund. Accordingly, a significant package of foreign exchange liberalization measures will be announced, affecting individuals, including businesses. The National Bank has always prioritized the interests of Ukrainian businesses regarding foreign exchange liberalization,” the regulator’s head noted.
Pyshnyy emphasized that stimulatory foreign exchange liberalization has remained one of the National Bank’s key priorities since 2023. According to him, the regulator supports measures that have a positive effect and stimulate the country’s economic recovery and development.
As previously reported, in the materials for the first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, published on its website, the IMF notes that currency liberalization should depend on the fulfillment of key preconditions—including deeper foreign exchange markets, well-anchored inflation expectations, and sustained financial stability—while ensuring that these are balanced with economic needs.
