Back in 2001, a Ukrainian census was taken which revealed that almost 48.5 million people were living in the country. During the latest census, released on December 1, 2019, the number of residents fell to 37,289,000.
Since its 28-year independence, the country has witnessed a 15-million decrease in its population.
While the population count during the last census was not taken in the usual manual manner – it was taken electronically and the annexed regions of Crimea and occupied area of Donbas were not included in the count – the exact measurement was not needed to create a stir within the government as to how to manage this decline and the current state of Ukraine’s economic condition.
More Interesting Statistics
To following statistics may shed more light on the severity of Ukraine’s population decline, particularly over the past decade:
- By August 2019, the population of Ukraine had decreased by 177,000 people when compared to its population count in December 2018.
- Within the first eight months of 2019, the country experienced a ratio of 100 deaths to 53 births.
- During the first eight months of 2019, more people left Ukraine than entered it.
- In 2018, the population of Ukraine decreased by 200,000 people.
- In 2014, Ukraine’s population fell from 45 million to 43 million people.
- According to forecasts, Ukraine’s population will continue to decrease by 6.8% until 2030.
- According to the United Nation’s population estimates , Ukraine has the 4th highest population decline in the world.
The latest Ukrainian census statistics along with the statistics provided by various reports and forecasts listed above clearly indicate a massive decline in the Ukrainian population over the past seven years, which seems most likely to continue over the next decade or so?
While the data makes it very clear that the population is declining it does not, however, shed light as to the reason why?
Reasons For Ukraine’s Population Decline
There are two main reasons why the Ukrainian population has continued to shrink since its Independence in August 1991: Emigration and Mortality vs. Fertility.
Simply put, more people are leaving Ukraine each year and more people are dying than being born within the country.
The reasons for the emigration problem are as follows:
- Lack Of Job
- Poor Wages
- Poor Medical Care
- Environmental Pollution
- Political Unrest
The factors affecting the country’s mortality and fertility dilemma include:
- Poor Health/Habits (diet, smoking, drinking, drugs
- Pollution
- Poor Medical Conditions
- Political Crisis
- Choice (to have children or not in such conditions)
If more people are leaving Ukraine than entering it and more people are dying in Ukraine than being born, then obviously something should be done about it.
After all, people are needed to maintain a healthy economy!
But what exactly does the Ukrainian government plan on doing about the state of population decline within the country?