During the first quarter of 2026, Ukrainian banks demonstrated stable profitability growth, resulting from an active lending policy. The share of interest income from loans in the total interest income of banks increased and reached 46% in March of this year.
This is reported by Finway
Dynamics of Financial Indicators in the Banking Sector
Solvent banks managed to increase profit before tax by 6.4% year-on-year by the end of the first quarter of 2026. However, due to the introduction of an increased corporate tax rate of 50%, the net profit of banks decreased by one-third compared to the same period in 2025, amounting to 26 billion UAH.
“Profit before tax for solvent banks in the first quarter of 2026 grew by 6.4% year-on-year. At the same time, net profit due to the application of the increased corporate tax rate (50%) was one-third lower than a year ago, at 26 billion UAH.”
The active development of lending was accompanied by the maintenance of a high net interest margin at 7.6%. This contributed to a 19.8% increase in net interest income for banks compared to the previous year.
Lending Activity and Other Sources of Income
The share of income from lending in the structure of banks’ interest income increased compared to last year. During the quarter, this indicator gradually rose, reaching more than 46% in March. In contrast, the share of income from high-quality liquid assets, including deposit certificates of the National Bank of Ukraine, decreased.
Alongside this, banks continued to increase net commission income, which rose by 6.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Net operating profit before provisions increased by 14%, while the provisions themselves remained at a moderate level.
In the context of the implementation of the increased corporate tax, the financial results obtained support the capital of banks and ensure further growth in lending potential, although they partially offset the positive impact of profitability growth.
There is also a steady increase in lending to businesses and households. According to the National Bank of Ukraine, in March 2026, net hryvnia loans to businesses in solvent banks increased by 32% compared to March 2025, while loans to households rose by 36%.