Birth rates falling sharply in Ukraine – report findings

Source: OpentadataBot

Ukraine is grappling with a critical demographic challenge, as recent data reveals a stark decline in birth rates.

In the first 6 months of 2024, only 87,655 babies were born, which marks an alarming  9% decrease compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of deaths has surged to 250,972, resulting in a grim ratio of three deaths for every newborn. This is a significant rise from the 2018-2020 period when the ratio was two deaths per child.

The current birth rate has halved compared to pre-invasion levels, underscoring the severe impact of ongoing conflict.

  • Highest Births: Kyiv – 9,695, Lviv Oblast – 7,923, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – 6,962
  • Highest Deaths: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – 26,374, Kharkiv Oblast – 17,999, Kyiv – 17,449
  • Lowest Deaths: Frontline regions of Kherson (2,334) and Donetsk (5,753), as well as Chernivtsi Oblast (5,422)

Unsurprisingly, the frontline areas have the lowest birth rates, with just 221 births in Kherson and 702 in Donetsk.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.