{"id":19147,"date":"2026-05-10T10:51:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T07:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/?p=19147"},"modified":"2026-05-10T10:51:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T07:51:51","slug":"naselennia-ukrainy-22-25-mln-demohrafichna-kryza-viina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/analitika\/naselennia-ukrainy-22-25-mln-demohrafichna-kryza-viina\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine is rapidly losing its population: how many people are left in reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukraine is facing the biggest demographic crisis in its modern history. If In 1991, the country's population exceeded 48 million<\/strong> people, only 22-25 million may remain in the government-controlled area. This estimate was made by the Ministry of Social Policy. The reasons are not only a full-scale war, but also years of economic instability, mass labour migration, falling birth rates and an ageing population. Demographers warn: Ukraine is entering a phase when the main problem is no longer just rebuilding cities, but also a banal lack of people.<\/p>\n

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How Ukraine's population has changed over the past 10 years<\/h2>\n

The problem of demographic decline began long before 2022. Ukraine has been losing population for almost the entire period of independence, but it was the full-scale war that became the catalyst for the record collapse.<\/p>\n

Estimated population of Ukraine<\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>\nPopulation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2016<\/td>\n42.8 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n42.5 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n42.2 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n41.9 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n41.6 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n41.2 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n37.5 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n34 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n31 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025<\/td>\n28-29 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\n22-25 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

After 2022, the rate of decline was unprecedented. Some citizens moved abroad, millions of people ended up in the occupied territories, and the birth rate plummeted to historic lows.<\/p>\n

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There are significantly fewer men in Ukraine<\/h2>\n

One of the most dangerous consequences of the war was a sharp change in the demographic structure of the population.<\/p>\n

Population by gender (approximate data)<\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>\nMen<\/th>\nWomen<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2016<\/td>\n19.7 million<\/td>\n23.1 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n18.9 million<\/td>\n22.7 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n16.8 million<\/td>\n20.7 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n13.8 million<\/td>\n17.2 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\n11 million<\/td>\n13 million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The male population is declining faster due to:<\/p>\n