Public debt exceeds US$85 bln in Aug

Ukraine's Finance Ministry says the country's public and government-guaranteed debt, estimated in the hryvnia, Ukraine's national currency, shrank by 0.7% to UAH 2,338 trillion (US$82.6 billion) in August 2020, while that in the U.S. dollar equivalent rose by 0.6% to US$85.10 billion.

"In August 2020, the public and government-guaranteed debt in hryvnia equivalent decreased by UAH 16.9 billion [$597.17 million], while growing by $0.05 billion in the U.S. dollar equivalent," the ministry said on its website.

As of August 31, 2020, the public external debt amounted to UAH 1.196 trillion, or $43.53 billion (51.15% of the total). The public internal debt was UAH 864.8 billion, or $31.48 billion.

Read alsoOver US$21 bln to be spent on public debt payments in 2021 – finance ministerGovernment-guaranteed debt

Ukraine's government-guaranteed debt stood at UAH 277.44 billion, or $10.10 billion (11.87% of the total public and government-guaranteed debt), including: government-guaranteed external debt at UAH 256.07 billion, or $9.32 billion (10.95%) and government-guaranteed internal debt at UAH 21.38 billion, or $780 million (0.91%).

Ukraine's public debt: Developments

• In March 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers started talks on the country's public debt restructuring.
• The country's public and government-guaranteed debt estimated in the hryvnia was down by 2.7% to UAH 2,196 trillion ($77.6 billion) in April 2020, while that in the U.S. dollar equivalent rose by 1.3% to $81.4 billion.
• The public and government-guaranteed debt estimated in the national currency grew by 0.59% to UAH 2,209 trillion ($78.1 billion) in May 2020, while that in the U.S. dollar equivalent was up by 0.83% to $82.12 billion.
• The debt estimated in the hryvnia increased by 3.8% to UAH 2,355 trillion ($83.2 billion) in July 2020, slightly growing in the U.S. dollar equivalent, i.e. by 0.4% to $85.05 billion.
• The national budget for 2020 foresees UAH 423 billion, or almost $15 billion, to repay state debt.