As a result of three years of the war, Ukraine faced a massive demographic crisis. According to various estimates, mass migration, a high rate of premature mortality and a sharp decline in birth rates have led to a huge population decline from 41 to 30 million people. Over 2024 the number of the Ukrainians, who died, exceeded the amount of those, who were born, threefold. Experts from the Institute for Demography and Life Quality Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, has predicted that Ukraine’s population can decrease to 25 million people by 2050.
Realizing the complexity of the situation, the Ukrainian authorities are taking steps to improve the demographic indicators. At the end of the last year, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted the Demographic Development Strategy until 2040, aimed at creating comfortable conditions for Ukrainian families, providing affordable housing, high-quality public infrastructure, safe environment and inclusive labor market. Simultaneously, the Ministry of National Unity is trying to return the Ukrainians to their homeland. In addition, the government has included free assistance to families in infertility treatment into a number of medical support programs.
Despite all the declared measures, Kyiv will have to do a lot to overcome negative demographics tendencies. But the most important thing is that it is impossible to solve the issue of fertility and to increase life expectancy without stopping the war, the action the Ukrainian authorities are not ready to take under current circumstances in the conflict zone. The war is forcing more and more people to leave Ukraine and, above all, to take their children out of the country. And the prospect for returning refugees is becoming unclear due to the destructions, low level of security, ambiguity about the time the war will come to an end and its results for Ukraine.