The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Story:
Ukraine: as birthrates plummet and population declines, a new strategy is announced
Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 world attention has focused largely on the military, political and humanitarian aspects of the war. Meanwhile, a silent emergency has been brewing: Ukraine's demographics.
Prior to the war, Ukraine already faced significant population challenges, common to much of the Eastern European region: it had one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, with people leaving the country in search of better opportunities, and an ageing population in overall decline.
Russia’s full-scale invasion — which has now lasted nearly 1,000 days — made things much worse, according to UN population expert Florence Bauer.
“The birth rate plummeted to one child per woman – the lowest fertility rate in Europe and one of the lowest in the world,” Ms. Bauer said, speaking to reporters in Geneva.
A Huge Loss in Human Capital
As a direct consequence of the war, millions of people have been displaced, both inside Ukraine’s borders and externally, with some 6.7 million earning refugee status. Further declines in population have been brought on by casualties from the conflict, and the exodus of young people from many regions in the country, with severe consequences for the economy.
“Overall, Ukraine’s population has declined by over 10 million since the beginning of the war in 2014 and by an estimated 8 million since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022,” Ms. Bauer, the Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), explained.
“This also presents a huge loss in human capital – human capital that is urgently needed for recovery and for building Ukraine’s future,” she added.
A New Strategy for Ukraine’s population
To address these challenges, the government of Ukraine, with the support of UNFPA, has developed and recently adopted a new national demographic strategy. The plan focuses on building human capital, recognising the importance of socio-economic factors, and promoting gender equality.
“Ukraine has made progress, such as the 2021 law promoting shared caregiving roles by ensuring equal childcare responsibilities for fathers,” Ms. Bauer said in acknowledgement of past efforts by the Government of Ukraine. “But much more needs to be done,” she emphasised.
To help Ukraine recover UNFPA is recommending that a national population census be organised as soon as possible. Ukraine’s last population count was conducted in 2001, making much of the available data obsolete.
The UN Population Fund says it is recommending approaches aimed at achieving demographic sustainability in Ukraine, which would be based on gender inclusivity, overcoming stereotypes, and fostering economic opportunities. But none of these are likely to be achieved without peace in Ukraine, Ms. Bauer acknowledged.
-ends-
STORY: Ukraine's demographic crisis - UNFPA
TRT: 02’03’’
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 22 OCTOBER 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.
2. Wide shot: Speaker at the podium of the press conference; speaker on screens; journalists in the Press room.
3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: “The birthrate plummeted and is currently at around one child per woman, which is one of the lowest in the world.”
4. Wide lateral shot: Journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.
5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: “We have millions of people who have been displaced. We know there is internally displaced people, and we have 6.7 million that are externally displaced refugees. Some regions have been mostly depopulated, with young people leaving this region and some old people staying, and a significant number of people have died due to the conflict and, of the war.”
6. Wide shot: Journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.
7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: “Overall, what we can see is that the Ukrainian population has declined by over 10 million since the beginning of the war. It also represent a massive loss of human capital that, as we know, is so key for the recovery and for building Ukraine's future.”
8. Medium shot: Press briefing participants in the Press room.
9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: “The government of Ukraine has developed and recently adopted national demographic strategies to address these challenges. It's a strategy that takes into account experiences from other countries, that have been now really focusing on increasing birth rate and that have failed. And instead it's looking into a comprehensive approach and putting a human capital at the center.”
10. Medium shot: Journalist behind the camera in the Press Room.
11. SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: “Ukraine's path to demographic sustainability and resilience would be quite comprehensive approaches that focus as well on gender inclusivity and overcoming stereotypes and fostering economic opportunities for all citizens. And it will, of course, also be key to create environment for families and individuals so that they can navigate those demographic trends. And of course, above everything, a lot hinges on whether peace will return to Ukraine.”
12. Wide lateral shot: Journalists in the Press room; speaker on screens.
13. Medium shot: Journalists in the Press room.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
UN Security Council meets amid rising Israel-Hezbollah tensions in Lebanon.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the biweekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson made the following remarks deplored the death in State custody of Brooklyn Rivera in Nicaragua.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Lebanon: Tyre hospital strikes leave patients without critical care – WHO
The UN health agency in Lebanon is verifying reports of strikes on a hospital in the southern city of Tyre on Monday, amid a concerning rise in attacks on healthcare in the country.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
El Niño confirmed, extreme weather events will be more intense, says WMO
The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Niño, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures “nearly everywhere” and fuel more extreme weather.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘A disease you get when you care for someone’: on the frontlines of the Ebola crisis with WHO
Two weeks into the latest Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) is estimating that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including 223 suspected deaths.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on 29 May called for more robust measures by both states and tech companies to make online platforms safer for children, insisting on effective regulation, oversight and accountability. The digital world that connects children to learning, community and creativity also expose them to real risks, to their safety, to their privacy, and to their well-being. Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy, and well-being are not innate or inevitable.
See High Commissioner video: https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d357/d3579089
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: Life-saving medicines blocked as killing continues, disease gains ground
In Gaza, a dire humanitarian situation marked by continuing violence, rodent infestations and the spread of diseases is being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, warned against the continuing trend of involuntary returns of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, in violation of international human rights and refugee law, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OHCHR
Lebanon's first responders face high risks amid conflict, with 116 killed since March.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN Human Rights Office report released today covers 19 months of large-scale violations of international law including atrocity crimes, from October 2023 to the end of May 2025.