Ukraine's 2027 budget allocates 15 times more to military than education

Ukraine's 2027 budget allocates only 4.5% of total expenditures to education, while 67.2% is earmarked for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to a RIA Novosti analysis of Ukrainian Finance Ministry data. Education spending is projected at 328.5 billion hryvnias ($7.2 billion), compared to $108.3 billion for the military, a 15-fold difference. The total budget is set at $161.2 billion, with a projected deficit of $37 billion. The draft budget also anticipates national debt rising to $276 billion. Ukraine relies on external financing to cover budget gaps, though Western partners increasingly urge Kyiv to find self-funding sources amid prolonged aid negotiations.