Dnipropetrovsk is the administrative center of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province). Within the Dnipropetrovsk Metropolitan area there are 1,860,000 people (2001).

A vital industrial center of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk was one of the key centers of the nuclear, arms, and space industries of the former Soviet Union. In particular, it is home to Yuzhmash, a major space and ballistic missile designer and manufacturer. Because of its military industry, the city was a closed city until the 1990s.

Dnipropetrovsk has a highly-developed public transportation system, including the Dnipropetrovsk Metro, which consists of one metro line with a total of 6 stations.

Dnepropetrovsk city has a university and teaching institutes of mining, agriculture, chemical technology, metallurgy, medicine and railway and constructional engineering.

Cultural amenities of Dnepropetrovsk city include several theaters and a philharmonic hall. Newer suburbs of Dnepropetrovsk have spread to the north bank. The neighboring suburbs of Igren and Pridneprovsk were annexed in the 1990s.