The number of sole proprietors increased by more than 11,000 in 2026

There were 11,297 more new sole proprietors opened than closed in the first quarter of 2026. In total, 63,920 entrepreneurs started their businesses, while 52,623 sole proprietors ceased operations from January to March this year.

The largest increase in the number of sole proprietors was recorded in non-store retail trade (online via social media, platforms, and messengers): +2,527 entrepreneurs. There were also more new businesses than closures in education (+1,899), consulting (+1,230), other information services (+1,033), and real estate rental (+862).

At the same time, the biggest decline was observed in retail trade at markets and stalls (-2,531) and in non-specialized stores (-1,062). The number of entrepreneurs also decreased in household repairs (-291), freight transport (-126), and television broadcasting (-125).

Kyiv leads in the growth of entrepreneurs with +1,826. It is followed by the Lviv region (+1,651), Dnipropetrovsk region (+1,450), Kyiv region (+1,159), and Odesa region (+775).

In contrast, the largest declines were recorded in frontline and occupied regions: Donetsk (-479), Kherson (-224), Sumy (-204), Zaporizhzhia (-97), and Luhansk (-56).