KIEV, Dec. 22 – Real gross domestic product in Ukraine in 2009 will be 13.5-14.5% lower than 2008, says Valeriy Lytvytsky, the head of the group of advisors to the National Bank of Ukraine governor.

"Only Lithuania [among European countries] is projected to experience a steeper decline," he said.

He noted that in 2009 the State Statistics Committee is publishing GDP dynamics only in the quarterly format compared to the same period last year, having refused the monthly format compared to the same period last year and the year-over-year format.