Poltava

The Poltava Region is situated in the central part of Ukraine, with its administrative center in the city of Poltava. Located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, the Region historically formed part of the Cossack Hetmanate. Covering an area of 28,800 km², the Poltava Region borders Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, and Kyiv Regions. Owing to its advantageous geographical position, the Region lies 341 km from Kyiv, 175 km from Kharkiv Airport, and 585 km from the Odesa seaport. Poltava has an international airport, and the city of Kremenchuk hosts a river port, strengthening its transport and trade connectivity.

Administratively, the Region is divided into four districts, encompassing 15 cities, 21 urban-type settlements, and 1,806 villages.

The Poltava Region serves as the core of Ukraine’s oil and gas industry, containing extensive reserves and infrastructure for extraction and transportation. A large oil refinery operates in Kremenchuk, while the Region also hosts iron ore processing enterprises and other heavy industrial facilities.

The export capacity of the Poltava Region continues to expand dynamically. In the first four months of 2024 alone, Regional enterprises exported goods worth over $730 million, marking a 47% increase compared with the same period in 2023. Key export categories include agricultural products, as well as goods from the food, chemical, and machine-building industries. This positive trend underscores the high competitiveness and export resilience of the Regional economy, even under wartime conditions.

Industry specialization: food industry (particularly dairy products), machine-building (machinery and equipment), automotive sector (spare parts), agriculture, chemical products, pharmaceuticals (microelements), and metalworking.

Natural resources: oil and gas, granite, and iron ore.

The Region is home to 13 universities and five technical schools. The leading higher education institutions include Poltava National Technical University, Kremenchuk Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi National University, and Poltava State Agrarian Academy – centers that play a key role in training specialists for the Region’s industrial and scientific development.

In 2023, the unemployment rate in Poltava Region reached 12.4% (compared with the national average of 9.9%), while the average monthly salary amounted to $545 (versus the national level of $627).