Ukraine's Population Falls To 28.5 Million, According To Institute Of Demography

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Ella Libanova, director of the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Research, made this statement during the 10th Ukrainian Women's Congress, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

“Just a few days ago, we completed our assessment of the population as of mid-year (2026)-28.5 million. We've lost half a million people. This is not so much due to deaths as it is due to emigration,” Libanova said.

According to the researcher, migration-both internal and external-remains the main factor driving demographic dynamics at present.

At the same time, Libanova believes that after martial law is lifted, Ukraine may face a new wave of migration, particularly as men return to their families abroad.

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“What concerns me about migration is not so much what is happening now, but rather what will happen after martial law is lifted, when men are able to leave once they return from the front lines. We won't be able to offer them jobs and salaries they'll consider decent. This raises the question: where will Ukrainian families reunite-in Ukraine or abroad? I'm very afraid that a second, so-called 'male migration wave' will emerge. This is quite likely,” she said.

As reported by Ukrinform, according to Eurostat data, as of the end of June, the number of people granted temporary protection status in EU countries who had left Ukraine as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion exceeded 4.4 million.

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