More than 800,000 employees: the role of sole proprietors in the economy is growing
10 April 18:34
In Ukraine, about 14% of individual entrepreneurs (IE) hire employees, meaning that, in fact, one in seven entrepreneurs acts as an employer.
This is according to OpenDataBot analytics , as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
How many people work for sole proprietors
According to the study:
- 302,260 sole proprietors have employees;
- they provide jobs for over 817,000 Ukrainians;
- on average, there are 3 employees per entrepreneur.
Overall, sole proprietorships constitute a significant segment of the workforce:
- 2.1 million people are self-employed;
- another 817,000 are employees;
- together—over 2.9 million employed.
Regional leaders
The largest number of sole proprietors with employees is registered in:
- Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — 27,491;
- Lviv Oblast — 27,275;
- Kyiv — 25,782.
At the same time, the leaders in terms of the number of employees at sole proprietorships are:
- Lviv region — 74,648 employees;
- Dnipropetrovsk region — 71,983;
- Kyiv — 70,272.
Where business is growing the fastest
The largest increase in sole proprietorships with employees was recorded in the western and central regions:
- Rivne region — 22%;
- Kyiv Oblast — 20%;
- Volyn Oblast — 19%;
- Chernivtsi Oblast — 18%;
- Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast — 16%.
This may indicate a gradual recovery of economic activity and a shift of business to safer regions.
Total number of entrepreneurs
As of early 2026, Ukraine has:
- about 2.1 million sole proprietors;
- which is 6,000 more than at the end of 2025.
Separately, analysts note the growing role of women in business:
- over 153,000 new sole proprietorships were opened by women in 2025;
- this accounts for 61% of all new entrepreneurs.
Why this matters
Sole proprietorships remain a key element of Ukraine’s economy:
- they ensure labor market flexibility;
- create jobs even under the difficult conditions of war;
- support local economies.
Although most entrepreneurs work independently, the proportion of those who become employers is gradually increasing—and this is one of the signs of economic recovery.
