The population of Ukraine has decreased by 10 million due to the war

Over two and a half years of full-scale war - from early 2022 to mid-2024 - Ukraine's population has decreased by at least 10 million people.

This is reported by Frontliner in their review.

The article states that at the beginning of 2022, more than 40 million people lived in Ukraine (excluding Crimea), but by mid-2024, this number decreased to about 35.8 million, of which 31.1 million are in territory controlled by Ukraine. Therefore, over two and a half years, the country has lost about 10 million people.

The main reason for the population decline during this period was the mass exodus of Ukrainians abroad. The publication writes that about 5 million people are currently outside the country. Most are in Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain.

Regarding those who remained in Ukraine, there are significantly fewer in the east and south than in the center and west, as millions have left Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. And although the central and western regions have accepted millions of internally displaced persons, these regions have also lost population due to emigration, according to the article.

Regarding losses due to mortality, the article notes that there is no exact data on the deceased, but "we're talking about tens of thousands of military personnel and thousands of civilians."

"Frontline areas have become deserted: mostly elderly people remain. Mortality has also increased due to a weakened medical system, as well as stress and exacerbation of diseases. In 2023, about 495,000 deaths were recorded, which is a third more than in pre-war years, and for every 100 births, there are 280 deaths," the authors write.

Low birth rates have also contributed to the population decline. According to the publication, in 2023, only about 180,000 children were born - the lowest number in all of modern history.

"The proportion of children under 18 is 15%, while people aged 60+ already make up 27%. Ukraine is rapidly aging, and new generations are becoming fewer," the article states.