According to recent reports from The World Factbook, Ukraine is facing a severe demographic crisis, with the highest death rate and lowest birth rate in the world.

The data reveals that Ukraine’s death rate stands at 18.6 per 1,000 people, the highest globally. For comparison, Lithuania, the second-highest, has a death rate of 15.02 per 1,000 people, followed by Serbia at 14.9. Russia’s death rate stands at 14 per 1,000 while at the other end of the spectrum, Qatar has the lowest death rate at 1.4 per 1,000 people.

Simultaneously, Ukraine’s birth rate is the world’s lowest at 6 births per 1,000 people. The French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is second-lowest with 6.4 births per 1,000 people. Niger leads the world in birth rate with 46.6 births per 1,000 people.

The situation in Ukraine has worsened in recent years. In the first half of 2024, Ukraine recorded 87,655 births, a 9% decrease from the same period last year. During this time, there were 250,972 deaths, meaning for every newborn, there were three deaths. This ratio has deteriorated from 2:1 in 2018-2020 before the full-scale war.

Regional disparities are evident, with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Kyiv registering the highest numbers of both births and deaths. Frontline regions are particularly affected, with Kherson Oblast recording only 221 births in the first half of 2024.

The Ministry of Health reports that birth rates in Ukraine have been declining by approximately 7% annually since 2014, when Russia attacked Ukraine. The situation further deteriorated after the 2022 full-scale invasion. For perspective, in the first half of 2021, Ukraine recorded 132,595 births, 1.5 times higher than current figures.

These stark demographics paint a concerning picture of Ukraine’s future, impacting its economy, social services, and national development and potentially raising the question of the overall sustainability of the Ukrainian nation. The ongoing Russian war against Ukraine exacerbates these trends.

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