97% of local budgets approved for 2026: what it means for communities

Approval of local budgets in Ukraine for 2026

According to Мінфін: 97% of local budgets in Ukraine for 2026 have been approved, indicating active preparation by communities for the new financial cycle. As of December 26, 1,542 local budgets out of 1,597 have been approved. This includes:

• 24 regional budgets,
• the budget of Kyiv city,
• 113 district budgets,
• 1,392 budgets of territorial communities,
• 12 budgets of districts in cities.

All local budgets have been fully approved in Volyn, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Chernivtsi regions. According to Article 77 of the Budget Code of Ukraine, local budgets must be approved by December 25 of the year preceding the planned one. This timely budget approval is crucial for funding social programs and ensuring stable operation of municipal institutions.

Dmytro Samonenko noted: 'The approved local budget means timely payments to teachers and medical staff, uninterrupted operation of municipal institutions, and the ability for communities to plan development from the beginning of the year.'

Thus, the approval of budgets will allow communities to effectively plan their expenses and implement important social initiatives in 2026.

The importance of approving local budgets

Approving local budgets is a critically important step for ensuring financial stability at the local level, as it allows communities to plan and implement social programs that directly affect residents' lives. With most budgets already approved, this creates a foundation for the further development of territorial communities and improving the quality of services for the population in the coming year.