UN: Ukraine's Population Falls by Up to 10 Million Since 2022, 6.7 Million Refugees Abroad

Oct 22, 2024, 01:00 PM

Ukraine's population has declined by an estimated 8 to 10 million people, or around a quarter of its population, since Russia's invasion began in February 2022, according to a United Nations report. Some estimates suggest the population has declined by over 10 million since the beginning of the conflict in 2014. The decrease is attributed to refugees fleeing the country—numbering about 6.7 million abroad—collapsing fertility rates, and war-related deaths. Florence Bauer, the United Nations Population Fund's regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, reported that the birth rate has fallen to one child per woman. The UN is supporting Ukraine in developing a national demographic strategy focused on building human capital to address these challenges.