Administrative divisions of Ukraine
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The administrative divisions of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Адміністративний устрій України, romanized: Administratyvnyi ustrii Ukrainy [ɐdʲmʲinʲistrɐˈtɪu̯nei̯ ˈustʲrʲii̯ ʊkrɐˈjine]) are under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Constitution. Ukraine is a unitary state with three levels of administrative divisions: 27 regions (24 oblasts, two cities with special status and one autonomous republic), 136 raions (districts) and 1469 hromadas.[1][2]
The administrative reform of July 2020 merged most of the 490 legacy raions and 118 pre-2020 cities of regional significance into 136 reorganized raions, or districts of Ukraine. The next level below raions are hromadas.[3]
Following the
Overview
According to Article 133 of the Constitution of Ukraine as amended, the system of administrative and territorial organization of Ukraine consists of:
- the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
- oblasts
- raions
- urban districts (or city districts) – a variation of raion at discretion of the local city government
- populated places: cities, settlements, villages
- hromadas (communities)[5] – not mentioned in the Constitution
- starosta okruh (district of a local senior) – not mentioned in the Constitution; subdivision of hromada at discretion of the local government
The 2020's reforms
In 2020 an administrative reform that was planned some time ago finally took place. During the reform an administrative territorial unit of "council" (rada, e.r. city council, urban-type settlement council, village council) lost its significance as a territorial unit. All populated places and their adjacent territories that were administered by local councils were consolidated with neighboring councils into a new territorial unit of "community" (hromada). At the discretion of the hromada administration (council), their territory may be subdivided into starosta okruh.[6][7] With creation of hromadas, selected raions were increased in size, while other raions were liquidated.
In addition, all populated places in the country (except for two cities with special status, Kyiv and Sevastopol) were resubordinated to raions liquidating gradation of cities (city of oblast significance would not be governed by raion administration)[8] The new figure of 136 raions includes 10 in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol; since September 2023, the Crimean raions are functional.[9] The cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol as well as the Chernobyl exclusion zone are designated into separate hromadas that are outside of normal administrative division hierarchy.
Also, the populated places that were used to be called "urban-type settlement" (selyshche miskoho typu) were truncated to the designation of "settlement" (selyshche). Such term, "urban-type settlement", existed in the ukase of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), but not in the Constitution, while "settlement" in the same "ukase" was indicating "settlement" a variation of rural populated place similar to a village, the Constitution on the other hand does not classify settlement at all. The 2020 reform liquidated differentiation between two similar terms in the above-mentioned ukase.
Later in 2023, there was introduced a new type of populated place such as "poselennia", approximately similar to hamlet, for residential places without local administration such as cottage communities or similar in design.
Recently abolished terms
Level of subdivision | Territory | Total |
---|---|---|
First | autonomous republic | 1 |
cities with special status
|
2 | |
oblasts (regions) | 24 | |
Second | raions (districts) | 136 |
Third | hromadas (territorial communities) | 1469 |
First level
There are three types of first-level administrative divisions: 24 oblasts (regions), 1 autonomous republic and 2 cities with special status.
Colour | Description |
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24 oblasts
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An oblast in Ukraine, sometimes translated as region or province, is the main type of first-level administrative division of the country. Ukraine is a unitary state, thus the oblasts do not have much legal scope of competence other than that which is established in the Ukrainian Constitution and by law. Articles 140–146 of Chapter XI of the constitution deal directly with local authorities and their competency. |
The administrative status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is recognized in the Ukrainian Constitution in Chapter X: Autonomous Republic of Crimea and is governed in accordance with laws passed by Ukraine's parliament. In 2014, the autonomous republic was illegally annexed by Russia as the Republic of Crimea.[10] | |
There are two cities with special status: Kyiv and Sevastopol (occupied since 2014). Their administrative status is recognized in the Ukrainian Constitution in Chapter IX: Territorial Structure of Ukraine.[11] Unlike the oblasts and the autonomous republic, the cities with special status only have urban districts and are not subdivided into hromadas, but rather are a single hromada of its own.[12] |
List
Listed in order the Ukrainian alphabet
Flag | Coat of arms | No. | Name | Area (km2) | Population (2021 estimate) |
Population density (people/km2, 2021) |
Capital | No. of raions | No. of hromadas | Location |
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1 | Autonomous Republic of Crimea |
26,081 | 1,967,259 | 75.43 | Simferopol | 10 | — | ![]() |
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2 | Vinnytsia Oblast | 26,513 | 1,529,123 | 57.67 | Vinnytsia | 6 | 63 | ![]() |
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3 | Volyn Oblast | 20,144 | 1,027,397 | 51.00 | Lutsk | 4 | 54 | ![]() |
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4 | Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 31,974 | 3,142,035 | 98.27 | Dnipro | 7 | 86 | ![]() |
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5 | Donetsk Oblast | 26,517 | 4,100,280 | 154.63 | Donetsk (de jure) Kramatorsk (de facto) |
8 | 66 | ![]() |
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6 | Zhytomyr Oblast | 29,832 | 1,195,495 | 40.07 | Zhytomyr | 4 | 65 | ![]() |
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7 | Zakarpattia Oblast | 12,777 | 1,250,129 | 97.84 | Uzhhorod | 6 | 64 | ![]() |
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8 | Zaporizhzhia Oblast | 27,180 | 1,666,515 | 61.31 | Zaporizhzhia | 5 | 67 | ![]() |
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9 | Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | 13,928 | 1,361,109 | 97.72 | Ivano-Frankivsk | 6 | 62 | ![]() |
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10 | Kyiv Oblast | 28,131 | 1,788,530 | 63.58 | Kyiv | 7 | 69 | ![]() |
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11 | Kirovohrad Oblast | 24,588 | 920,128 | 37.42 | Kropyvnytskyi | 4 | 49 | ![]() |
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12 | Luhansk Oblast | 26,684 | 2,121,322 | 79.50 | Luhansk (de jure) Sievierodonetsk (de facto, 2014–2022) |
8 | 37 | ![]() |
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13 | Lviv Oblast | 21,833 | 2,497,750 | 114.40 | Lviv | 7 | 73 | ![]() |
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14 | Mykolaiv Oblast | 24,598 | 1,108,394 | 45.06 | Mykolaiv | 4 | 52 | ![]() |
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15 | Odesa Oblast | 33,310 | 2,368,107 | 71.09 | Odesa | 7 | 91 | ![]() |
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16 | Poltava Oblast | 28,748 | 1,371,529 | 47.71 | Poltava | 4 | 60 | ![]() |
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17 | Rivne Oblast | 20,047 | 1,148,456 | 57.29 | Rivne | 4 | 64 | ![]() |
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18 | Sumy Oblast | 23,834 | 1,053,452 | 44.20 | Sumy | 5 | 51 | ![]() |
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19 | Ternopil Oblast | 13,823 | 1,030,562 | 74.55 | Ternopil | 3 | 55 | ![]() |
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20 | Kharkiv Oblast | 31,415 | 2,633,834 | 83.84 | Kharkiv | 7 | 56 | ![]() |
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21 | Kherson Oblast | 28,461 | 1,016,707 | 35.72 | Kherson | 5 | 49 | ![]() |
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22 | Khmelnytskyi Oblast | 20,645 | 1,243,787 | 60.25 | Khmelnytskyi
|
3 | 60 | ![]() |
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23 | Cherkasy Oblast | 20,900 | 1,178,266 | 56.38 | Cherkasy | 4 | 66 | ![]() |
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24 | Chernivtsi Oblast | 8,097 | 896,566 | 110.73 | Chernivtsi | 3 | 52 | ![]() |
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25 | Chernihiv Oblast | 31,865 | 976,701 | 30.65 | Chernihiv | 5 | 57 | ![]() |
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26 | Kyiv | 839 | 2,962,180 | 3530.61 | Kyiv | 10 | — | ![]() |
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27 | Sevastopol | 864 | 385,870 | 446.61 | Sevastopol | 4 | — | ![]() |
Autonomous republic
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukrainian: Автономна Республіка Крим) geographically encompasses the major portion of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine. Its capital is Simferopol. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the only region within Ukraine that has its own constitution.
On 16 March 2014, after the occupation of Crimea by the Russian military, a referendum on joining the Russian Federation was held. A majority of votes supported the measure. On 21 March 2014, the Russian Duma voted to annex Crimea as a subject into the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian government does not recognize the referendum or annexation of Crimea as legitimate. On 27 March, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 68/262 by 100 to 11 votes, recognizing the referendum as invalid and denying any legal change in the status of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Oblasts
An oblast (Ukrainian: область; pl. області) is on the first level of the administrative division of Ukraine.
Most oblasts are named after their administrative center. Volyn and Zakarpattia oblasts, whose respective capitals are Lutsk and Uzhhorod, are named after the historic regions
Cities with special status
Two cities have special status (
Second level
Raions
Raions (Ukrainian: район; pl. райони) are smaller territorial units of subdivision in Ukraine. There are 136 raions.[15] Following the December 2019 draft constitutional changes submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 136 new raions have replaced the former 490 raions of Ukraine.[16]
Urban districts
An urban district is subordinate to the city administration.[17]
Third level
Hromadas
The territorial hromadas (
There are three types of hromadas: rural (Ukrainian: сільська громада), settlement (Ukrainian: селищна громада) and urban (Ukrainian: міська громада). There are 1469 hromadas in total (as of November 1, 2023).[19]
Starosta okruh
A starosta okruh is an optional subdivision of hromada which may or not be implemented at the discretion of the hromada's ruling body (council). A starosta okruh is led by starosta, who is an elected official of the local government. Often used before, the term
Bottom level
An individual populated places as the main unit of population concentration. Populated places are combined into hromadas and are fundamental entities of hromada formation. In Ukraine there are known four kinds of populated places:
- City (misto)
- Settlement (selyshche)
- [Farming] Village (selo)
- Hamlet (poselennia)
Note: the cities with special status (Kyiv and Sevastopol) are governed by a separate local law and are equivalent of a region-like administrative entity.
History
Ruthenia
During the princely times of Ukraine when it was known as
Cossack Hetmanate
The
.Sich / Zaporozhia
The Zaporozhia lands were a territory along the coastline of Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in
-
Kalmius Palatine
-
Kodak Palatine
-
Oril Palatine
Ukrainian People's Republic

According to the
Soviet Ukraine
Before the introduction of oblasts in 1932, Soviet Ukraine comprised 40 okruhas, which had replaced the former Russian Imperial governorate subdivisions.[22][23]
In 1932 the territory of the Soviet Ukraine was re-established based on oblasts. At the same time, most of the Western Ukraine at the time formed part of the Second Polish Republic and shared in the Polish form of administrative division based on voivodeships.[24]
See also
References
- ^ Regions of Ukraine and their composition Archived 2011-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Verkhovna Rada website.
- ISBN 0-8133-3538-8
- ^ LiWebRadaAdmin (22 May 2015). "Реформа територіального устрою України". Silrada.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Putin signs documents to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions, in drastic escalation of Russia's war". The Globe and Mail. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Конституція України | від 28.06.1996 № 254к/96-ВР (Сторінка 3 з 4)". 2 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Про старостинські округи в об'єднаних громадах: запитання та відповіді". Мережа сайтів територіальних громад та об’єднаних територіальних громад (ОТГ) (gr.org.ua) (in Ukrainian). 5 May 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ "Про утворення старостинських округів, призначення старост та інше". Портал «Децентралізація» (decentralization.ua) (in Ukrainian). 4 November 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України". static.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів України щодо вирішення окремих питань адміністративно-територіального устрою Автономної Республіки Крим". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Gutterman, Steve; Polityuk, Pavel (18 March 2014). "Putin signs Crimea treaty as Ukraine serviceman dies in attack". Reuters. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Конституція України". Законодавство України (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Overview of Kyiv Oblast". www.infoukes.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ "About the capital of Ukraine – the hero city of Kyiv (Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy (VVR), 1999, № 11, p. 79)". GOV.UA. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ "Russia's annexation of Crimea". Kyiv Independent. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ "The council reduced the number of districts in Ukraine: 136 instead of 490". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 17 July 2020.
- BBC Ukrainian(in Ukrainian). 16 December 2019.
- ^ "Конституція України". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Автор. "Те, чого ніколи не було в Україні: Уряд затвердив адмінтерустрій базового рівня, що забезпечить повсюдність місцевого самоврядування". decentralization.gov.ua. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ Автор. "Децентралізація в Україні". decentralization.gov.ua. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ISBN 978-1442610217. Archived from the originalon 13 March 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Конституція Української Народньої Республіки (Статут про державний устрій, права і вільності УНР)". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Адміністративно-територіальний устрій України". ВУЕ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Збірник законів та розпоряджень робітничо-селянського уряду України (1935–1936)". 17 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Ustawa Konstytucyjna z dnia 15 lipca 1920 r. zawierająca statut organiczny Województwa Śląskiego". isap.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
External links
- "Regions of Ukraine and their composition". Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- "Ukraine Raions". Statoids. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- "Ukrainian cities and regions in alphabetical order". UkraineTrek. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- "Administrative territorial composition of Ukraine" (PDF). Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, and Communal Living. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2015.