In the first 10 months of 2021, more than 600,000 Ukrainians left the country and didn't return, according to monitoring service Opendatabot.
“In total, from 2011 to 2020, 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens did not return to the country,” Opendatabot reported. “According to the indicators of 2021, we can expect that if there is no mass return of Ukrainians home in November-December, the total negative balance for 11 years will be more than 3.3 million people.”
Ukraine has a population of approximately 41-42 million. The government hasn't done a census since 2001.
From 2011 to 2014, Ukraine lost half a million people every year. In 2015, the number of people who left and did not return fell sharply to 16,431 but the outflow picked up again in subsequent years.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 saw a temporary reversal of this trend, with a positive migration balance of 80,000 people.
High emigration rates lead to depopulation in Ukraine. According to the recent United Nations estimates, if the outbound flow of citizens continues at the same pace, Ukraine will lose nearly one-fifth of its population by 2050.
To lure Ukrainian expatriates back to the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would put in a slew of initiatives, including affordable loans and dual citizenships.
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