Cash transaction volumes in Ukrainian banks continue to grow. In the nine months of 2026, banks issued more cash to clients than they received at their teller windows. The National Bank attributes the increased demand for hryvnia cash, in particular, to intensified Russian attacks and risks to critical infrastructure.

The National Bank of Ukraine reported this on November 3, publishing cash turnover statistics for January–September 2026.

During this period, banks' cash desks received UAH 2,413.3 billion in cash, which is 9.8% more than in the corresponding period of 2025.

At the same time, the volume of cash issuance increased by 8.4%, reaching UAH 2,463.4 billion.

Thus, over the nine months, banks issued UAH 50.1 billion more cash than they received. However, this gap narrowed compared with the same period last year, when it stood at UAH 74.6 billion.

These indicators characterize the movement of cash through bank teller windows, not directly the volume of cash savings of the population.

The NBU explains the growth in cash receipts by several factors. Among them are salary and pension increases and indexation in the first quarter of 2026, full financing of social payments by the state, and an increase in household spending in preparation for the autumn-winter period.

At the same time, the unstable security situation affected the increase in hryvnia cash issuance.

According to the regulator's assessment, the intensification of Russian air strikes, destruction of civilian, critical, and logistics infrastructure, and the housing sector create additional risks for economic activity.

In such conditions, citizens may withdraw cash more actively and keep part of their funds in physical form. This allows them to have a reserve of money in case of disruptions in electricity supply, communications, or the operation of payment infrastructure.

The largest share of cash issuance from bank teller windows traditionally comes from client transactions using payment cards. In the nine months of 2026, they accounted for 85.6% of all teller expenses.

Another 4.8% was for payments when banks purchased foreign currency from clients, and 3.2% for cash replenishment of postal operators.

The main sources of cash receipts to banks remained:

  • trade revenue – 31.7%;
  • client transactions using payment cards – 28.9%;
  • receipts from foreign currency sales – 14.9%;
  • revenue from all types of services – 11.9%.

Compared with the nine months of 2025, the share of trade revenue in total teller receipts decreased slightly—from 31.8% to 31.7%. In contrast, the share of payment card transactions increased from 24.4% to 28.9%.

As previously reported by "Kurs Ukrainy", in the first half of 2026, cash issuance from bank teller windows amounted to UAH 1.602 trillion, while receipts were UAH 1.555 trillion.

Thus, by the end of the nine months, both indicators continued to grow, with cash receipts increasing at a faster pace than issuance.

Detailed bank cash turnover statistics, including comparisons with previous years, are available in the table of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Source: National Bank of Ukraine, statistics of bank cash turnovers for 2015-2026