The aggregate state (direct) and state-guaranteed debt of Ukraine in October 2018 decreased by 0.46%, or by $0.34 billion, to $74.32 billion, according to the website of the Ministry of Finance. In the national currency the state debt fell by 0.93% or UAH 19.69 billion, to UAH 2.093 trillion.
Since the beginning of the year, the total state (direct) and state-guaranteed debt in U.S. dollar terms has decreased by 2.61%, or by $1.99 billion, in hryvnias – by 2.27%, or by UAH 48.6 billion.
The Finance Ministry said that the public debt in October decreased by 0.88%, to UAH 1.811 trillion (in U.S. dollars it decreased by 0.41% to $64.32 billion), while the external debt decreased by 1.02%, to UAH 1.06 trillion (in U.S. dollars decreased by 0.55%, to $37.65 billion).
Last month state-guaranteed debt fell by 1.28%, to UAH 281.65 billion (in U.S. dollars it decreased by 0.81% to $10 billion), including external debt by 1.35% to UAH 269.34 billion (in U.S. dollars decreased by 0.89%, to $9.56 billion).
The ministry also reported that the principal amount of public debt is denominated in U.S. dollars, 44.06%, another 30.18% in hryvnia, 16.21% in special drawing rights (SDR), and 8.39% in euros. In addition, less than 1% of government debt is denominated in Canadian dollars and yen.
The official hryvnia exchange rate, according to which the Ministry of Finance calculates the debt, in October improved to UAH 28.16/$1 from UAH 28.30/$, or by 0.47%, whereas by the end of 2017 it was UAH 28.07/$1.