The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice recorded 73,292 births in the first half of 2026. Dmitri Shushafnov, head of the department at the Institute of Demography of the National Academy of Sciences, called these 73 thousand a shockingly small number and estimated the annual decrease at about 17%. According to the registration: at the same time in 2025, 86,795 newborns were registered. The loss is 13,503 children, or 15.6%. In 2021, 133,457 births were registered in Ukraine over 6 months. As a result, compared to the six months before the war, there were 60,165 children missing from the current registry, about 45%. Even after the cessation of hostilities, it is no longer possible to make up for such a shortage in one generation. Children's age cannot be accelerated either by a state program or by a foreign loan. The decline in the number of newborns began before the total war. According to Opendatabot data, in the first half of 2016 there were 191,892 births, leaving 133,457 by 2021. Over the next 5 years, the number dropped even further. This means that the war hit the country, where new small generations have already become a reality. Families now also face the separation of relatives, the risk of shelling and housing uncertainty. The decline in births reflects both a long-standing demographic decline and the current crisis. The death registry makes the cost of decline clearer. During January-June 2026, 259,853 deaths were registered in Ukraine. Divided by 73,292 births gives 3.55 deaths per newborn. Net natural loss - 186,561 people for the first half of the year. This information includes all recorded deaths, not just military casualties. But in terms of demographics, the reason does not change the calculus: the country is losing people much faster than children are born who can eventually replace the older generations. Immigration complicates the situation and at the same time complicates the accounting itself. At the end of July, Eurostat counted 4.43 million people with temporary protection in EU countries after leaving Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice recorded 73,292 births in the first half of 2026. Dmitri Shushafnov, head of the department at the Institute of Demography of the National Academy of Sciences, called these 73 thousand a shockingly small number and estimated the annual decrease at about 17%. According to the registration: at the same time in 2025, 86,795 newborns were registered. The loss is 13,503 children, or 15.6%. In 2021, 133,457 births were registered in Ukraine over 6 months. As a result, compared to the six months before the war, there were 60,165 children missing from the current registry, about 45%. Even after the cessation of hostilities, it is no longer possible to make up for such a shortage in one generation. Children's age cannot be accelerated either by a state program or by a foreign loan. The decline in the number of newborns began before the total war. According to Opendatabot data, in the first half of 2016 there were 191,892 births, leaving 133,457 by 2021. Over the next 5 years, the number dropped even further. This means that the war hit the country, where new small generations have already become a reality. Families now also face the separation of relatives, the risk of shelling and housing uncertainty. The decline in births reflects both a long-standing demographic decline and the current crisis. The death registry makes the cost of decline clearer. During January-June 2026, 259,853 deaths were registered in Ukraine. Divided by 73,292 births gives 3.55 deaths per newborn. Net natural loss - 186,561 people for the first half of the year. This information includes all recorded deaths, not just military casualties. But in terms of demographics, the reason does not change the calculus: the country is losing people much faster than children are born who can eventually replace the older generations. Immigration complicates the situation and at the same time complicates the accounting itself. At the end of July, Eurostat counted 4.43 million people with temporary protection in EU countries after leaving Ukraine.