Cash volume in Ukraine approaches one trillion hryvnias - NBU
Cash in circulation in Ukraine as of October 1, 2026 reached 973 billion UAH. Demand for cash increased not only due to seasonal factors, but also as a result of intensified Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
This was reported by the National Bank of Ukraine on October 13.
Since the beginning of the year, cash volume increased by 46.7 billion UAH, or 5%. As of January 1, 2026, cash in circulation was 926.3 billion UAH.
However, growth rates slowed compared to last year. For the first nine months of 2025, cash volume increased by 8.2%.
Russian attacks increased demand for cash
According to the NBU, in the first quarter of 2026 cash was mostly withdrawn from circulation, but in the second and third quarters demand for it recovered.
The regulator explains this dynamic by traditional seasonal factors observed almost every year.
An additional reason for the increase in cash volume in the third quarter was the intensification of Russian air attacks on energy, logistics, food, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Damage to power grids and communication systems increases risks of failures in ATMs, payment terminals, and other electronic services. Under such conditions, cash remains an important tool for everyday payments.
However, the NBU did not specify exactly what part of the cash growth is directly related to Russian shelling and what is explained by seasonality.
How many banknotes and coins are in circulation
At the beginning of October, Ukraine had 2.6 billion banknotes with a total value of 962.5 billion UAH.
In addition, 15.4 billion coins worth 10.4 billion UAH were in circulation. This statistic does not include commemorative and investment coins.
According to National Bank calculations, each resident of Ukraine on average holds 64 banknotes and 199 payment coins. At the beginning of 2025, the figures were 64 banknotes and 193 coins.
The 500 UAH banknote remains the most common among banknotes, accounting for 25.3% of the total number of banknotes.
The least in circulation are the new 2000 UAH banknotes, which the NBU began issuing on September 4, 2026. Their share is only 0.01%.
According to the regulator, since the beginning of issuance, about 400 thousand such banknotes with a total value of approximately 0.7 billion UAH entered circulation.
Meanwhile, among all denominations, the number of 1000 UAH banknotes and 10 UAH coins grew the fastest in January-September.
NBU continues to withdraw small coins
The National Bank also provided data on changes in the structure of coin circulation.
Among circulation coins of denominations 1, 2, 5, and 10 UAH, the most coins are 1 UAH, and the fewest are 5 UAH.
Separately, the regulator reminded about the gradual withdrawal of 10 kopiyka coins, which began on October 1, 2025.
Over the year, 7.8 million 10-kopiyka coins were withdrawn from cash circulation. Despite this, they still account for 26.7% of the total number of coins in circulation.
The NBU notes that these coins have almost lost practical significance for payments. Their withdrawal is expected to reduce costs for manufacturing, processing, transportation, and storage of cash.
Instead, there is steady demand for 50 kopiyka coins, particularly from retail and service enterprises. Their share is 9.1% of the total number of coins.
Thus, despite the development of cashless payments, cash continues to play an important role in the Ukrainian economy. In times of war, the need for physical money additionally depends on the resilience of energy and telecommunications infrastructure.
Based on materials: of the National Bank of Ukraine