Kyiv continues to be a leading IT outsourcing hub in 2025, demonstrating resilience despite the Russian full-scale invasions. The industry has successfully adapted, establishing infrastructure that ensures uninterrupted operations. As the country’s leading tech hub, Kyiv boasts a large talent pool, strong technical expertise, and a business-friendly environment that continues to attract international investment. Local IT firms maintain long-standing partnerships with global clients, reinforcing the city's reputation as a trusted outsourcing destination. Let’s explore the advantages of Kyiv developers and the state of the local IT industry today.
Key insights about IT developers in Kyiv
Kyiv is the capital and largest city in Ukraine, with 3M residents as of 2025. It is an economic and technological hub featuring a thriving IT sector, diverse industries, and a vibrant cultural scene fueled by ongoing experimentation, adaptability to challenges, and innovation. Here is a snapshot of Kyiv developers:
Ukrainian IT industry during the war
Ukraine's IT sector has shown remarkable resilience. During the Covid crisis between 2020 and 2022, the industry grew an impressive 46%, reaching its peak in 2022 [1]. The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused IT services exports to dip by 12%, yet 90% of employees have retained their jobs. The working culture has adapted, and many companies have significantly invested in providing the necessary infrastructure to allow their employees to keep working, such as equipping development centers with diesel generators and utilizing satellite-based Internet services.
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Recognizing the industry's crucial role in national recovery, the government has ramped up its support efforts. In partnership with IT clusters, the Ministry of Digital Transformation is actively working to counteract the war's effects, sustain business operations, and attract foreign investment.
Kyiv’s impact on Ukraine’s tech industry goes beyond direct employment, as almost half of the country's tech companies are based in the city. The local tech sector plays a crucial role in job creation, indirectly supporting over 230K positions beyond software development.
Extensive and highly qualified talent pool
Kyiv’s large, skilled workforce, robust academic infrastructure, international business presence, and adaptability to remote work make it a highly competitive outsourcing destination. Developers in Kyiv account for 44% of Ukraine’s IT talent pool, with 151K professionals based in the city. This enhances talent acquisition efficiency, lowers hiring competition compared to smaller hubs, and accommodates a wide range of outsourcing needs. The next largest hub is Lviv, which is home to 62K developers. Additionally, about 10% of Ukrainian developers have relocated abroad but remain employed by Ukrainian companies.
Ukrainian culture puts a high emphasis on education, with around half of the working population holding a university degree in 2020 [2]. Among IT professionals, this number reaches 96% [3]. For comparison, in Poland, 46% of people aged 25-34 have attained tertiary education [4].
Compare Kyiv to other CEE locations: Top IT outsourcing destinations of Eastern Europe
Several leading Ukrainian universities are situated in Kyiv, with the total number of technical universities in the city reaching 38. Approximately ten thousand tech graduates enter the workforce each year. This steady influx of thousands of tech graduates annually ensures a sustainable workforce for outsourcing companies and mitigates the risk of talent shortages. Moreover, over 50 international R&D offices, including Samsung and Huawei, have established a presence in Kyiv, underscoring its global reputation as a premier technology hub.
Wide expertise range
There are over 400 IT companies in Kyiv, with web development as the leading specialization, closely followed by mobile development. The city's outsourcing firms primarily cater to the financial services and information technology sectors, reflecting strong demand for secure, scalable, and innovative digital solutions. Among the most prominent software development companies in Kyiv are N-iX, ELEKS, Intellias, SoftServe, and Sigma Software, all of which have established themselves as key industry leaders with a global client base.
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Most Kyiv developers specialize in C# and C++, with each language having more than 18,000 developers. Java and JavaScript are also popular, but their number is lower, followed by PHP, Python, and .NET.
English proficiency
Effective communication is essential for seamless collaboration, especially in a field where project success depends on clear requirements, documentation, and ongoing client interactions. The average English proficiency in Kyiv is comparable to that of Argentina and Cyprus, which rank globally in the moderate proficiency category [4]. However, IT professionals in Kyiv typically possess a significantly higher level of English competence, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder workflow efficiency. 59% of Ukrainian IT professionals have strong English skills, enabling them to work comfortably with international clients [5]. Language proficiency is highest among client-facing specialists, such as project managers and sales experts, reaching 82%.
Industry recognition
The industry widely recognizes Kyiv developers and IT outsourcing companies based in Kyiv. In the 2023 Kearney Global Services Location Index, Ukraine secured the 20th position, reflecting its growing prominence in the global outsourcing landscape.
Additionally, 15 Ukrainian IT firms, including N-iX, have been recognized among the top 100 service providers in IAOP's 2024 Global Outsourcing 100 list. This list's evaluation criteria include customer references, awards and certifications, programs for innovation, and corporate social responsibility.
According to Coursera, Ukraine's developers rank 15th globally in technological skills. The report evaluates proficiency across three domains: technology, business, and Data Science. In pure technology proficiency, Ukraine stands third in Europe, just a few points shy of the maximum score. Yet, what truly makes Kyiv an outsourcing powerhouse is the high business and Data Science knowledge that is crucial in outsourcing because they guarantee that projects deliver not only technically sound solutions but also strategic business value and competitive advantage.
Wrap up
Kyiv was not immune to the war, yet the IT outsourcing industry adapted, and partnering with Kyiv developers remains one of the best choices for software projects. The continued investment in education, innovation, and business-friendly policies ensures that Kyiv remains competitive on the global stage.
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References
- N-iX Ukraine’s tech market: 2025 industry report
- OECD Policy Responses on the Impacts of the War in Ukraine
- Portret Aitivtsya 2024 DOU
- EF EPI
- European Commission
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