Ukrainians Surge in Foreign Currency Purchases: Could the Hryvnia Be Headed for a Crash?.

Currency Buying and Selling Volumes in Ukraine

According to Мінфін — Крипто/Фінанси: In June 2026, Ukrainians bought $510 million more in foreign currency than they sold, signaling a sharp rise in demand. Cash purchases increased while sales declined, and non-cash currency acquisitions also saw a notable uptick.

Specifically, cash currency purchases in June 2026 rose by $196.6 million, reaching $1.9745 billion. Meanwhile, cash currency sales dropped by $22.0 million, totaling $1.4677 billion. The breakdown of cash purchases includes:

• Dollar purchases amounting to $1.2585 billion;
• Euro purchases climbing by $117.3 million, hitting $654.1 million.

Additionally, non-cash currency purchases by bank clients in June 2026 grew by $1.1447 billion, reaching $10.9856 billion. In contrast, non-cash currency sales fell by $432.8 million, settling at $7.1764 billion. Interbank transactions also expanded, rising by $1.5129 billion to $8.6223 billion.

The National Bank of Ukraine’s net currency interventions in June 2026 totaled $5.087 billion. In May 2026, the hryvnia exchange rate stood at 44.85 UAH per USD and 51.17 UAH per EUR. These figures highlight a surge in currency activity among the population and shifting demand patterns.

The growing appetite for foreign currency among the public may stem from economic pressures like inflation, volatility in the national currency, or expectations of further appreciation of foreign exchange rates.

Such shifts in consumer behavior could impact the currency market and the strategies of the National Bank of Ukraine, which aims to keep the hryvnia stable. These trends are particularly relevant as Ukrainians seek to protect their savings amid ongoing economic uncertainty.