Mykolaiv is among the top ten most transparent cities, and Odesa is ranked 34th

Mykolaiv was ranked 7th in the Transparency Ranking of Cities in Times of War, while Odesa did not make it to the top ten. The study showed that transparency does not depend on the size or budget of a city, but on political will and systematic work.

This was reported by the anti-corruption organization Transparency International Ukraine.

The Transparent Cities program of Transparency International Ukraine has published the results of the Transparency Ranking of Ukrainian Municipalities for 2024. The analysts studied 100 cities from 21 regions, evaluating them according to 70 criteria of openness, accountability and integrity. The project aims to increase the effectiveness of local authorities, NGOs and state institutions in shaping and controlling regional policy, managing state-owned enterprises, monitoring budget expenditures and ensuring openness of local government.

The winner of the rating was Chernivtsi, which received 84.5 points out of 100 possible, 27.1 points more than last year. Vinnytsia took the second place (81 points), and Lutsk came in third (76 points).

Screenshot: Transparency International Ukraine

Overall, among the 10 cities located near the hostilities, the average level of transparency was 43.9%, slightly higher than the overall average. Zaporizhzhia demonstrated the biggest progress over the year - +27.3 p.p. and moved up to the 12th place.

The average level of transparency of cities was 41.6%, but large cities showed better results - 59.1%. Medium-sized cities scored an average of 41.7%, while small cities scored only 33.2%.

The top 10 of the ranking includes seven regional centers and three other cities. Mykolaiv was ranked seventh with 68 points, one of the best scores among frontline cities. Odesa scored 45.5 points and was ranked 34th.

Screenshot: Transparency International Ukraine

Only four cities with a population of less than 50,000 received the status of "partially transparent." Volodymyr, Pokrov, Varash, and Slavuta. Sumy (+16.4 p.p.) and Marhanets (+12.7 p.p.) also significantly improved their results.

The worst results were recorded in Konotop (11 points), Mohyliv-Podilskyi (15.5), Zolochiv (16), Khust (16.5), and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (17.5). Shostka (-15.5 percentage points) and Drohobych (-14 percentage points) recorded the largest regressions. The latter, along with Dnipro, lost the status of a "transparent" city due to the failure to meet the new indicators added to the ranking this year.

Screenshot: Transparency International Ukraine

It should be noted that Mykolaiv city council has been holding sessions online for more than two years. However, despite this format, there are still questions about transparency: during the broadcasts, it is not clear whether the deputies are present in person, and there are other comments on the organization of remote voting.

Анна Бальчінос