The number of utility debtors in Ukraine grew by 108,000 in six months

Over the first half of this year, more than 108,000 new enforcement proceedings related to utility debts were added to the Unified Debtor Register. Kharkiv Oblast recorded the highest number of new debtors.

The data were published on the Opendatabot portal.

By the beginning of July, the register contained 829,700 proceedings linked to utility debts. Nearly 62% of them have been closed, yet the debts were never paid.

Of the 108,561 proceedings opened this year, 65% — that is, 70,206 cases — remain open and unpaid.

The largest number of new utility debts this year accumulated in Kharkiv Oblast: 22,171 proceedings, or 20% of all new cases. Second place went to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with 19,636 proceedings (18%). Third place was taken by Mykolaiv Oblast — 12,841 proceedings (12%).

The most common unpaid utility bill among Ukrainians this year was for heating, which accounts for 43% of all new debts. A further 18% are debts for water supply. Third place goes to housing maintenance services (12%), followed by gas supply (11%) and electricity supply (9%).

The largest share of new debtors falls among people aged 46–60: 35% of all new proceedings. Another quarter are pensioners. Citizens aged 36–45 account for roughly the same proportion (24%).

Some utility debts have remained open for years. The oldest enforcement proceedings have been in the register for more than nine years. One of them was opened against a resident of Chernihiv Oblast for a heating debt.

Previously, Ukraine adopted a law simplifying the seizure of property for debts.