Decreased birth rate, high premature mortality, and mass migration abroad are some of the main factors for that. 

According to the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine had a population of 28-34 million at the beginning of 2023. Researchers assume the country’s population will decline to 24-32 million by 2030. Slovo i Dilo [Ukrainian analytical portal, – Editor’s note] reports about this. 

Population decline is due to a decreased birth rate, a high premature mortality rate, and a massive migration [of the Ukrainian population] going abroad [as refugees]. At the beginning of 2022, the birth rate decreased to 1.2. A birth rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain the size of the Ukrainian population.

In 2019, the UN report forecasted the population of Ukraine to decrease to 35 million in 2050. As of today, the organization presumes that the number of Ukrainian citizens will reduce to 29 million by 2050. 

Note: According to the head of the Kharkiv military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, as of September 14, 2023, 2.4 million people live in Kharkiv oblast. 1.3 million are living in Kharkiv. 

The population of Kharkiv and Kharkiv oblast decreased compared to the previous years, but now people are actively returning to the city and de-occupied territories. Recently, Kharkiv observed the fourth wave of Kharkiv residents coming back home. It’s presumed to be connected to the beginning of a school year. Also, 517 thousand internally displaced are now living in Kharkiv Oblast. 

UPD. Ukraine had the population of 28-35 million at the beginning of 2023, not 2022.

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