Despite the war, Ukrainian communities are continuing to make progress: strengthening ties, seeking resources, and building partnerships. Quarterly monitoring by the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine shows that even in times of uncertainty, the local self-government system remains flexible, adaptable, and united.

Inter-municipal cooperation: joining forces means achieving more

One of the main tools for achieving community sustainability is cooperation between communities. Where communities cooperate, roads, schools, and hospitals are repaired faster, and resources are used more efficiently.

• As of October 2025, a total of 727 cooperation agreements have been concluded, which marks an increase of 49 compared to the previous quarter.
• The regions with the most agreements are Rivne (94), Dnipropetrovsk (69), and Poltava (64).

This is an indicator of trust. At a period when resources are at stake, communities are more and more often choosing partnership over competition.

International partners: Ukrainian communities joined forces with 64 countries

International support remains critically important, particularly for frontline territories and those hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Every signed memorandum represents not only financial assistance, but also a signal to the world: Ukraine is holding on, working, and planning for the future.

• The number of international partnership agreements has increased to 2,115, which is seven more than in the previous quarter.
• Ukrainian communities have partners in 64 countries worldwide.
• The regions with the most partners are Lviv (286), Zakarpattia (284), and Volyn (135).

The network of international relations has become a source of not only humanitarian aid, but also a channel for exchanging experience, ranging from the digitisation of services to the restoration of infrastructure.

Financial picture: growth with a shadow of regional imbalances

The central focus of monitoring is fiscal indicators. Overall, they are growing across the country, but not everywhere and not uniformly.

1. Income per capita
   On average, it is UAH 9,051.4, representing an increase of 117.4% on last year’s level.
   The regions with the highest growth rates are Kyiv (125.0%), Ivano-Frankivsk (122.5%), and Volyn (122.1%).
   Meanwhile, the Donetsk (75.3%) and Luhansk (87.4%) regions experienced a decline – the war in these regions is not only destroying infrastructure, but also depleting the tax base.
2. Revenue structure
   With a share of 73.3% in community budgets, own revenues indicate that financial autonomy has been preserved.
   The highest figures are found in the Kyiv (93.1%), Dnipropetrovsk (82.1%), and Poltava (80.4%) regions.
   The lowest figures were recorded in the Kherson (25.2%) and Donetsk (32.3%) regions, where communities are forcibly dependent on state transfers.
3. Expenditure per capita
   Total expenditure reached UAH 11,555.2, which is 117.5% higher than last year.
   The regions with the highest growth were Lviv (125.3%), Kyiv (122.6%), and Dnipropetrovsk (121.3%).
   The regions with the lowest growth were Kherson (101.0%) and Donetsk (102.9%), where resources are mainly spent on basic survival.
4. Expenditure on local governments
   On average, this accounted for 11.4% of total expenditure.
   The highest shares were in the Luhansk (21.8%) and Kherson (18.7%) regions, due to growth in administrative costs amid crisis conditions.
   The lowest share was in the city of Kyiv (5.5%), demonstrating the effect of scale and digital services.

Monitoring data from October 2025 shows that decentralisation is a valuable tool for the country’s development and stability. It enables communities to make decisions, respond quickly, and negotiate with each other and with international partners.