Ukrainian Business Relocation: Over 12,000 Companies Changed Their Registered Address Last Year

Corporate Relocations Across Ukraine

According to Главком: Research by Opendatabot reveals that 12,197 Ukrainian companies changed their legal address last year, undertaking a total of 12,920 moves. While this represents an 11% increase in corporate migration compared to the previous year, the figures still fall short of pre-full-scale invasion levels. The wholesale trade sector proved the most mobile, with 3,798 businesses relocating, accounting for nearly one-third of all moves.

Migration Patterns and Regional Shifts

In other sectors, 732 companies (6%) in building construction relocated, followed by 645 (5%) in real estate operations, 639 (5%) in agriculture, and 526 (4%) in retail trade. The most frequent relocation route was from Kyiv to the Kyiv region, involving 779 companies. Other major flows included 663 moves from the Kyiv region to Kyiv, 565 from Kyiv to Dnipropetrovsk region, and 521 from Kyiv to Kharkiv region.

Overall, Kyiv saw the largest corporate outflow, with 12,558 companies (30% of all moves) leaving. Dnipropetrovsk region lost 4,200 companies (10%), Odesa 2,884 (7%), Kyiv region 2,755 (7%), and Kharkiv region 2,336 (6%). Kyiv remained the top destination, attracting 11,765 companies (28.3%). Dnipropetrovsk region gained 4,048 businesses (10%), Kharkiv 2,889 (7%), Odesa 2,880 (6.9%), and Kyiv region 2,729 (6.6%).

It is important to note that only eight regions saw a net increase in registered businesses. Kharkiv region gained the most (+553), followed by:

• Zaporizhzhia (+419)
• Lviv (+213)
• Sumy (+177)
• Zakarpattia (+105)
• Kherson (+95)
• Zhytomyr (+53)
• Ivano-Frankivsk (+48)

Conversely, 19 regions experienced a net loss. Kyiv saw the largest decline, with 793 fewer companies. Donetsk region lost 155 companies, Dnipropetrovsk 152, Volyn 101, and Luhansk 85.

This data indicates that Ukrainian businesses continue to adapt to the new realities shaped by the ongoing war. While corporate migration has increased, it has not yet returned to pre-conflict levels. These shifts in business locations are reshaping regional economies, as growth in some areas coincides with decline in others, potentially altering economic activity and employment patterns across the country. This internal relocation is a key indicator of how the private sector is responding to security and logistical challenges.