Ukraine's population has decreased by 20 million since 1991 due to migration and war – Deputy PM
Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine's population has dwindled from 52 million to an estimated 32 million by 2024, driven by factors such as migration and ongoing war.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksii Chernyshov stated this in an interview with Die Welt.
"On its independence day, in 1991, Ukraine was a state with 52 million people. In ten years, this number fell to 48 million.
Before the first invasion [by the Russian Federation in 2014 – ed.], there were only 45 million. In 2015, after the annexation of Crimea, the number fell to 42 million," the official noted.
According to Chernyshov, as of the end of 2024, about 32 million people remained in Ukraine.
He also emphasized that the total number of Ukrainians as a nation is about 60 million people, half of whom live abroad and are a diaspora. Some of these people left Ukraine even before the full-scale war.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that about 5 million people with protected status left after 2024 when the Russian Federation invaded on a full-scale basis.
"We want to stay in touch with all Ukrainians living abroad. We do not want them to feel disconnected from the Ukrainian idea, but to feel connected to the state," Chernyshov emphasized.
For reference:
In August 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of the "Ministry of Unity," which should unite Ukrainians abroad and counter Russian propaganda. The main task of the new department is to support Ukrainian communities abroad, strengthen their ties with Ukraine, and protect common national interests.
Zelensky stressed that the state should play a more active role in meeting the educational, cultural, and information needs of Ukrainians, as the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alone are not enough for this.
Later, Zelensky stated that the new ministry could be created as early as the fall of 2024. The President noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lacks the resources to support 7.5 million Ukrainians abroad.
On December 3, at a meeting of the Servant of the People faction, MPs voted for Naftogaz Chairman of the Board Oleksii Chernyshov's candidacy for Minister of National Unity.
It should be noted that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Strategy for the Demographic Development of Ukraine until 2040, developed by the Ministry of Social Policy. The document identifies demographic threats to Ukraine's development and ways to overcome them.
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