Part 4/10:
This destruction has dramatically affected Ukraine’s population. Prior to the invasion, Ukraine’s population was roughly 40 million. However, due to territorial seizures, military and civilian casualties, and over 6 million citizens fleeing abroad, current estimates place the population in Ukrainian-controlled areas at just 25 to 27 million—an unprecedented decline. Additionally, Ukraine’s birth rate has plummeted, with the first half of 2024 experiencing three times as many deaths as births, and a 9% drop in new births compared to the previous year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resisted calls to draft men aged 18-25, citing concerns about eroding the country's future demographic prospects, most of whom are not yet of reproductive age.