IMF forecasts weakening of Ukraine's hryvnia

Ukraine's key lender, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), forecasts that the hryvnia, Ukraine's national currency may weaken to UAH 28.68 per U.S. dollar in 2019, from UAH 27.19 in 2018.

Read alsoDeposits at Ukraine's banks shrink both in hryvnias and U.S. dollars

This forecast in relation to Ukraine's nominal GDP in the hryvnia and dollar equivalent is given in the IMF's April World Economic Outlook.

According to the document, the hryvnia is expected to be traded at UAH 29.96 per U.S. dollar in 2020, UAH 30.55 in 2021, UAH 31.01 in 2022, UAH 31.47 in 2023, and UAH 31.94 in 2024.

Morgan Stanley analysts forecast that Ukraine's hryvnia will weaken by UAH 4, to UAH 31 per U.S. dollar by the end of 2019 and further to UAH 32.5 per U.S. dollar by the end of 2020.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's hryvnia in March 2019 weakened by 1.3% against the U.S. dollar, to UAH 27.21 (at the official rate of the National Bank of Ukraine, NBU), but strengthened against the euro by 0.3%, up to UAH 30.57.

In January-March 2019, the hryvnia strengthened by 1.7% against the U.S. dollar and by 3.6% against the euro.

According to the consensus forecast compiled by UNIAN on the basis of experts' estimates, the hryvnia exchange rate is expected at UAH 30 per U.S. dollar at the end of 2019.