War in Ukraine: UN reports population decline of 8 million in 2.5 years

The population of Ukraine has decreased by eight million since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, leading to significant emigration and a drop in fertility rates, the United Nations reported on Tuesday (October 22).

“Overall, Ukraine’s population has declined by about ten million since 2014 and by approximately eight million since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022,” stated Florence Bauer, head of the UN Population Fund’s Eastern Europe division, in remarks sent to journalists.

The report, citing government and UNFPA data, clarifies that Ukraine’s population this year stands at 35 million, compared to 43 million in 2022 and 45 million in 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

During a press conference in Geneva, Bauer explained that this decline is linked to a “combination of factors” and emphasized that “even before the escalation of the war, Ukraine was facing significant demographic challenges.”

“The country had one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. A large number of people had already left the country in search of better opportunities. The population was aging, and the total population was decreasing,” Bauer said.

“This situation is typical in Eastern Europe, as many countries are experiencing similar demographic trends,” she added, noting that “with the large-scale Russian invasion that began in 2022, the situation significantly worsened.”

The official stated that the fertility rate has collapsed to around one child per woman, “one of the lowest in the world,” and “well below” the population replacement threshold of 2.1 children per woman.

Additionally, 6.7 million people have fled Ukraine, “and a significant number of people have died as a result of the conflict,” the UN representative added.

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