KYIV, Ukraine – On 30 September 2024, the Government of Ukraine endorsed a new National Demographic Strategy through 2040, aiming to address critical demographic challenges exacerbated by the full-scale Russian invasion. The strategy focuses on enabling people to realize their fertility intentions, reducing premature mortality, achieving positive net migration, adapting to demographic ageing, and creating conditions for a high quality of life to reverse negative demographic trends. Notably, the strategy incorporates the concept of "demographic resilience," emphasizing the importance of building societal capacity to thrive amid rapid demographic changes.
Russia's invasion has further fueled Ukraine’s demographic crisis: birthrates have plummeted to one of the lowest globally, life expectancy has dropped, and migration shifts have left entire regions depopulated and aged, with over 10 million people displaced internally and abroad, and a considerable number of people remaining in Russian-occupied territories. As Ukraine’s population continues to shrink, strategic interventions are urgently needed to mitigate generational impacts.
UNFPA provided crucial support in developing the strategy, offering expert consultations and technical assistance throughout the preparation process. To further support its implementation, UNFPA is now collaborating on a project funded by the UK Government. This initiative aims to garner widespread public and stakeholder support for the strategy and will assist in providing essential data for current population projections, including mobile operator data. This collaboration underscores UNFPA's commitment to helping Ukraine navigate its demographic challenges and build a resilient future.
