Ukraine Faces Severe Population Decline Amid Ongoing Conflict

GENEVA: Ukraine's population has decreased by an estimated 10 million people since 2014, with the decline significantly worsening after the onset of conflict with Russia, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The organization highlighted that eight million of this decline has occurred since the escalation of hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. According to Kuwait News Agency, Florence Bauer, UNFPA's regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, addressed the issue during a press conference in Geneva. She emphasized that Ukraine's birth rate has dropped to one child per woman, marking it as the lowest fertility rate in Europe and among the lowest worldwide. The sharp demographic decline results from a combination of reduced birth rates, mass displacement, and casualties related to the ongoing conflict. Bauer pointed out that Ukraine was already encountering significant demographic challenges before the war, including low birth rates, an aging population, and a steady decr ease in population numbers. The conflict has exacerbated these issues, with millions internally displaced and approximately 6.7 million people living as refugees outside Ukraine. Some regions have experienced severe depopulation, and many have lost their lives directly due to the war, Bauer noted. This loss represents a significant depletion of human capital, which is crucial for Ukraine's recovery and future development. Bauer stressed the importance of conducting a population census to aid in planning Ukraine's recovery. She noted that the last census took place in 2001, and updated demographic data is urgently needed once conditions allow for it.