Prices for construction and installation work in Ukraine rose by 25.4% in August 2026 compared to August 2025, according to the State Statistics Service (State Statistics Service).
According to the statistics agency, prices rose across all segments of construction from August 2026 to August 2025: in residential construction by 21.5% (up 1.3% from the previous month), in non-residential construction by 26.4% (2%), and in civil engineering by 26.1% (1.6%).
From January through August of this year compared to the same period last year, construction material and equipment prices rose by 18%; specifically, in the residential sector by 15.5%, in the non-residential sector by 18.7%, and in civil engineering by 18.4%.
As previously reported, in 2025, construction material prices rose by 5.8% compared to the previous year; in 2024, by 7.9%; and in 2023, by 15.8%.
CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, PRICE, State Statistics Service, UKRAINE
Ukrainians’ attitude toward Slovakia in August 2026 improved significantly compared to the previous survey: the share of positive assessments rose to 40.7%, while negative assessments fell to 12.2%. Respondents with a neutral attitude remain the largest group—44.4%, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. Experts.news
According to the results of the August survey, 9.8% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Slovakia, and 30.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral attitude was expressed by 44.4% of respondents. 10.8% view the country mostly negatively, 1.4% view it entirely negatively, and another 2.7% were undecided.
Based on the rounded figures in the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is approximately plus 28.5 percentage points, while in the consolidated survey results it is reported at plus 28.6 percentage points. This is one of the most notable examples of improved public perception among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
In March 2026, 34.3% of respondents viewed Slovakia positively: 8.9% viewed it entirely positively and 25.4% viewed it mostly positively. At that time, 18.2% of respondents expressed a negative attitude, while 43.6% were neutral.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments increased by 6.4 percentage points—from 34.3% to 40.7%—while negative assessments decreased by approximately 6 percentage points—from 18.2% to 12.2%. The neutral group remained virtually unchanged—43.6% in March versus 44.4% in August.
Even more noticeable is the shift in the balance between positive and negative assessments: it rose from approximately plus 16.1 percentage points to plus 28.6 percentage points, or by more than 12 percentage points. Unlike a number of other countries in the region, where August saw a deterioration or largely stable trends, the survey shows a shift toward a more favorable perception in the case of Slovakia.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, believes that the improvement in attitudes toward Slovakia may be linked to a gradual shift from an emotional perception of political rhetoric to a more pragmatic assessment of the actual relations between the two countries.
“For Ukraine, Slovakia is a neighboring country with which there are very concrete daily ties: trade, transit, energy, border cooperation, humanitarian contacts, and the movement of people. When the public sees these practical ties and they remain stable, it gradually softens even a rather tense political backdrop. In my opinion, the current increase in positive assessments indicates precisely this shift toward a more pragmatic perception of Slovakia,” noted Maksym Urakin.
According to him, the simultaneous growth of the positive segment and the decline in the negative segment are particularly telling.
“It’s not just the shift in the overall balance that’s important here. Over the course of five months, the share of negative assessments has fallen by about a third, while positive assessments have increased significantly. This means that some of the people who previously viewed Slovakia critically are shifting not just to the neutral group, but to the positive one as well. At the same time, the 44.4% of neutral responses indicate that there remains significant potential for further shaping the country’s image in Ukraine,” added Urakin.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using an online self-administered questionnaire via the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous wave in March also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for a 50% indicator.
ACTIVE GROUP, Central Europe, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SLOVAKIA, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
The amount of cash in circulation in Ukraine from January through September 2026 increased by 5%, or 46.7 billion hryvnia, to 973 billion hryvnia, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
According to the regulator, cash was withdrawn from circulation in the first quarter, while demand for cash picked up in the second and third quarters, in line with traditional seasonal trends.
At the same time, the growth rate of cash volume slowed compared to the same period in 2025, when the increase over nine months was 8.2%.
An additional factor contributing to the increase in the volume of cash in the third quarter was the intensification of airstrikes on critical infrastructure, particularly in the energy, logistics, food, and telecommunications sectors.
As of October 1, 2026, there were 2.6 billion banknotes in circulation with a total value of 962.5 billion UAH, as well as 15.4 billion coins—excluding commemorative and investment coins—with a total value of 10.4 billion UAH.
Among banknotes, those with a denomination of 500 UAH accounted for the largest share by number—25.3%—while those with a denomination of 2,000 UAH accounted for the smallest share—0.01%. Since this denomination was first introduced into circulation on September 4, 400,000 such banknotes totaling 700 million UAH have entered circulation.
The highest growth rates over the first nine months of 2026 were recorded for 1,000-hryvnia banknotes and 10-hryvnia coins: their quantities in circulation increased by 12.1% and 19.1%, respectively.
Among coins in circulation, 1-hryvnia coins were the most numerous, while 5-hryvnia coins were the least: their shares accounted for 4.9% and 2.7%, respectively, of the total number of coins in circulation.
One year after the start of the gradual withdrawal of 10-kopeck coins from circulation, the NBU withdrew 7.8 million of them on October 1, 2025. As of October 1, 2026, they accounted for 26.7% of the total number of coins in circulation.
Coins with a denomination of 50 kopecks accounted for 9.1%, and demand for them from the retail and service sectors remained steady.
As previously reported, during the first half of 2026, the volume of cash in circulation increased by 4.8%, or 44.5 billion hryvnias, to 970.8 billion hryvnias.
The Czech Republic continues to enjoy a high level of positive perception among Ukrainians, although in August 2026 the share of favorable assessments decreased compared to March. 61.3% of respondents view the country positively, 5.1% negatively, while nearly one-third of respondents hold a neutral stance, according to the Experts Club information and analytical center.
According to the results of the August survey, 18.8% of Ukrainians view the Czech Republic entirely positively, and 42.5% view it mostly positively. A neutral stance was chosen by 32.1% of respondents. 4.1% view the country mostly negatively, 1% view it entirely negatively, and another 1.6% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 56.2 percentage points. This is the highest figure among the Central and Eastern European countries included in the study. Following the Czech Republic in this regional group are Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.
Compared to the previous wave of the survey, attitudes toward the Czech Republic have deteriorated somewhat. In March 2026, 23.3% of respondents rated the country entirely positively, and 44.1% rated it mostly positively—meaning the total share of positive responses was 67.4%. 28.2% had a neutral attitude, and about 3% had a negative one.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments fell by 6.1 percentage points—from 67.4% to 61.3%. Negative responses increased by approximately 2.1 percentage points, while neutral responses rose by 3.9 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 64.4 percentage points to plus 56.2 percentage points.
At the same time, these changes do not indicate a fundamental shift in Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the Czech Republic. Positive assessments outnumber negative ones by more than 12 to 1, and the main shift in responses was toward a neutral stance. The Czech Republic also remains significantly higher than most other countries in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the balance of public perception.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, commenting on the results of a previous study on the Czech Republic, attributed the high level of positive sentiment to the nature of bilateral relations.
“Ukrainians’ positive attitude toward the Czech Republic is explained not only by historical proximity but also by Prague’s active support for Ukraine. At the same time, economic relations between the countries are characterized by a significant imbalance—imports from the Czech Republic substantially exceed exports. This creates opportunities for developing new areas of cooperation, particularly in the fields of high technology, investment projects, and energy,” Urakin noted.
The latest wave of the survey shows that the overall positive image of the Czech Republic among Ukrainians remains, although its intensity has decreased compared to the spring. At the same time, the increase in neutral assessments is more noticeable than the rise in negative ones.
The survey, conducted in August 2026, used self-administered online questionnaires from the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous survey in March also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, and the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, Central Europe, CZECH REPUBLIC, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Flat-rolled products continue to dominate the structure of metallurgical product imports into Ukraine.
According to data from the Ukrmetallurgprom association, in January–September 2026, flat-rolled products accounted for 69.65% of all rolled steel imports.
The share of long-rolled products was 24.83%.
A year earlier, the import mix was also characterized by a predominance of flat products, although their share was slightly lower—67.14%. Long products accounted for 21.28% of imports at that time.
The total volume of rolled metal imports into Ukraine over the first nine months of 2026 reached 1.276 million metric tons, compared to 1.2395 million metric tons a year earlier.
At the same time, the domestic market shrank by 13.79% over the same period—to 2.728 million metric tons.
As a result, imported products now account for 46.78% of the Ukrainian market, whereas a year earlier their share stood at 39.17%.
Thus, the main increase in the Ukrainian market’s dependence on imports continues to be linked primarily to shipments of flat-rolled products, which remain the largest product group among foreign metal products.
Source: “Ukrmetallurgprom.”
The Netherlands continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, a total of 71.3% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward the country, while only 1.6% expressed a negative one. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments declined slightly, but the net sentiment remains one of the highest among the countries surveyed, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. Experts.news
According to the results of the August survey, 28.4% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward the Netherlands, and 42.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 26.4% of respondents. 1.4% view the country mostly negatively, only 0.2% view it entirely negatively, and another 0.8% were undecided.
The net balance of positive and negative assessments, based on rounded figures, stands at plus 69.7 percentage points. Based on this indicator, the Netherlands ranks among the countries with the most favorable public perception among Ukrainians, trailing only Canada and Sweden in the overall ranking.
A previous survey conducted in March 2026 also showed a very high level of favorability. At that time, 34.3% of respondents viewed the Netherlands entirely positively, 38.5% viewed it mostly positively, and 24.2% held a neutral position. In the aggregated results, the share of positive assessments was reported at 72.7%, while negative assessments accounted for only 1.2%.
Thus, between March and August, the overall share of positive assessments decreased by approximately 1.4 percentage points. At the same time, the structure of positive attitudes changed more noticeably: the share of entirely positive responses decreased by 5.9 percentage points, while that of mostly positive responses increased by 4.4 percentage points. The share of neutral assessments increased by approximately 2.2 percentage points. Overall, these changes do not indicate a significant deterioration in attitudes—the negative segment remains minimal.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, had previously highlighted the stability of the Netherlands’ positive image. He attributed the high ratings to the country’s consistent stance and a nature of engagement that is understandable to Ukrainian society. In his view, stable indicators across several survey waves are more important than minor fluctuations between individual measurements.
This positive public perception is also coupled with trade figures that are favorable to Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, trade with the Netherlands totaled approximately $1.82 billion, with Ukrainian exports exceeding $1 billion and a trade surplus for Ukraine of about $221.5 million.
Thus, the Netherlands remains an example of a country where a high level of public support is combined with its important role as a market for Ukrainian exports. A slight decline in the positive rating compared to March does not currently change the overall picture: only a small portion of respondents view the country negatively.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, NETHERLANDS, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
