Money basics
Inflation: how it eats your savings and how to protect them
What UAH 100,000 will buy in 5 and 10 years, how the real return differs from the rate in the contract and what actually protects you from inflation.
Inflation: what it means
Inflation is the rise in prices that means the same money buys fewer goods and services over time.
Inflation is the general rise in prices. With 10% annual inflation, a basket of goods that cost UAH 1,000 will cost about UAH 1,100 a year later. Your money does not disappear, but it buys less.
Official inflation in Ukraine is measured by the State Statistics Service, and the NBU comments on it every month. In September 2026, prices were 10% higher than a year earlier.
The practical takeaway: savings that earn no interest lose part of their value every year. To preserve purchasing power, the after-tax return on a deposit or bond needs to be at least as high as inflation. The difference between the rate and inflation is called the real return.
In detail, with examples: Inflation: how it eats your savings and how to protect them
Related terms
Key policy rate Deposit Compound interest
Figures used here
- Inflation in September 2026, year on year10%
Checked against official sources on October 29, 2026. When a figure changes, it is updated on every page of the site.
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