An average IT FOP in Ukraine operates for 4 years

18,605 new sole proprietors (FOPs) in computer programming appeared this year — the number of newcomers in the field has stayed almost the same. But existing businesses are closing much more actively: 26,158 IT entrepreneurs ended their activity. Overall, losses in the sector have tripled over the year: —7,553 FOPs in just ten months of this year.

Most new IT FOPs were traditionally registered in: Kyiv (3,737), Lviv region (2,015), Dnipropetrovsk region (1,740), Kharkiv region (1,557), Kyiv region (1,338). At the same time, a positive balance — when more FOPs opened than closed — remained only in two regions: Volyn (+19 FOPs), Ternopil region (+12).

Among new IT entrepreneurs, men dominate — 57% of registrations, while women account for 43%. In no region do women outnumber men — this is unusual for Ukrainian business overall, where women typically open more new enterprises.

The median lifespan of an IT FOP that closed in 2025 is 4 years. Every sixth IT FOP shuts down within the first year, and another third operate from one to four years. The oldest entrepreneur who closed their business this year had been working since 1991.

However, the closure of FOPs does not necessarily mean the IT sector is in crisis — it mostly reflects how the employment model for IT specialists is changing. According to DOU, this year 57% of IT professionals work as FOPs. For comparison: a year ago it was 70%, and in 2022 — 87%.

At the same time, according to Djinni, the number of IT job openings has grown over the past year. In the first 10 months of last year, companies posted 72,396 IT job vacancies, while in the same period this year the number increased by 11% — to 80,297 vacancies.