MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Since 2021, around 40% of Ukraine’s working-age population has left the country, Ukrainian First Deputy Minister of Social Policy Darya Marchak said.
According to her information, approximately 1.7 million Ukrainians - or 40% of the country’s working-age population - have left Ukraine since 2021. This is more than 10% of the country’s economically active population.
"Demography changes the labor market drastically, it affects it. 74% of employers are experiencing labor force shortages, with average deficit amounting to 15% of a company’s workforce," the Delo.ua portal quoted her as saying.
The first deputy minister went on to say that Ukraine is going through a profound demographical crisis with its population rapidly ageing. The share of people aged 65 or older grew from 18% in 2021 to 22% in 2024. At the same time, only 27% of people aged 50 or older continue to work in Ukraine.
According to demographical forecasts cited by Marchak, the country’s population may decline to 28.9 million people by 2041 and further to 25.2 million people by 2051. At the same time, the country needs additional 4-5 million people to restore its economy.
Many politicians and experts have been raising alarm about a demographical crisis in Ukraine. According to the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies, the population of Kiev-controlled territories ranged between 25 million and 28 million people last year. The institute’s director Ella Libanova said the country’s population will never reach the Soviet level of around 52 million people. At the same time, the Kiev government admits that it lacks incentives to stimulate the return of Ukrainians from abroad.