In 2023, the state spent more than a trillion hryvnias on defense, which is half of the countryʼs annual budget

During this year, Ukraine spent 2 trillion 119 billion hryvnias from the general fund of the state budget.

This was reported by the Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Almost half of all expenditures, which is more than a trillion hryvnias, went to defense: 682 billion for the salaries of military personnel, and 349 billion for the support of the Armed Forces (purchase of military equipment, weapons, ammunition, etc.).

386 billion hryvnias were allocated to social programs. Another 102 billion was allocated to medicine, and 112 billion to local budgets to support regions.

Budget for 2024

At a meeting on September 15, the government approved the draft state budget for 2024. The main priority of the budget is security and defense. Defense budgets are 1 692.6 billion hryvnias, or 21.6% of GDP. Expenditures for the defense-industrial complex — 55.8 billion hryvnias, namely for the production of weapons in Ukraine — are also planned. Also, from January 1, 2024, the subsistence minimum for one person per month should increase to 2 920 hryvnias, for those able to work — 3 028 hryvnias, for people who have lost their ability to work — 2 361 hryvnias. From January 1, 2024, the minimum wage should be 7 100 hryvnias, from April 1 — 8 000. So far, the parliament has voted for the state budget for 2024 in the first reading.