The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Demography Institute forecasts 'catastrophic' birth rate drop in Ukraine in 2023

by The Kyiv Independent news desk December 26, 2022 11:24 PM 1 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

In 2023, Ukraine will face a "catastrophic" fall in the birth rate, and there are risks that by 2030 the country's population will decrease to less than 35 million, according to Ella Libanova, director of the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies.

The World Bank estimated the population of Ukraine at over 43 million as of 2021.

"As the war continues, we are losing people through excess mortality," Libanova said, explaining that aside from casualties in Russian attacks, an increasing number of people die from stress, poor nutrition, and insufficient medical care.

Libanova said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine influences demographics through casualties, migration, and worsening life conditions caused by continuous attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure that could prevent refugees from coming back to Ukraine from abroad.

"The longer people stay abroad, the more they adapt and could want to stay there forever," she said. "Also, if people have destroyed houses and have no work, they will have nowhere and nothing to return to."

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of Dec. 20, over 7.8 million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, and over 4.8 million of them have registered for temporary protection status or equivalent in Europe.

Ukraine's Christmas wish list: What is needed to end the war quickly

News Feed

5:14 PM

Lithuanian FM on Europe's role in ending Russia's war.

The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sat down with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys during his visit to Kyiv on April 1 to discuss the future of Europe during U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, whether European sanctions remain an effective instrument to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine, and Lithuania's contribution to the "coalition of the willing."
2:30 PM

Russian Railways hit by major cyberattack.

The state-owned Russian railway operator described the incident as a "massive DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack," saying that efforts to restore operations are underway.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.