Birth rates falling sharply in Ukraine - report findings

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.

Birth rates falling sharply in Ukraine – report findings