REUTERS
The NBU has retained its forecasts for the growth of Ukraine's real GDP by 2.5% in 2019, and by 2.9% and 3.7% in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Ukraine's GDP growth in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1) slowed to 2.4% year-over-year (y-o-y) after accelerating to 3.5% in the fourth quarter of 2018 (Q4).
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The slowdown from the previous quarter was due to the expected reduction in the contribution of agriculture since the effect of the record harvest of grains and oilseeds in 2018 had waned, the regulator said on its website.
"Despite the improvement in livestock production in January-March 2019, the contribution of agriculture to GDP growth, although it remained positive, was insignificant," it said.
However, the NBU retained its forecasts for Ukraine's real GDP growth by 2.5% in 2019, and by 2.9% and 3.7% in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
UNIAN memo. The growth of Ukraine's real gross domestic product in 2018 accelerated to 3.3%, a seven-year high, from 2.5% in 2017.
Inflation in Ukraine in 2018 slowed to 9.8%, or to a five-year low, from 13.7% in 2017.
Ukraine's national budget for 2019 is based on a macroeconomic forecast with a 3% increase in real GDP amid 7.4% inflation.