The demographic situation got worse in Ukraine in 2021 as a result of irrelevant demographic policy, meaning poor incentives for birthrate and support for families with children, and from continuing social and economic crisis. According to OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin, lack of measures that could improve the situation in the country will leave Ukraine with no future as an established nation.

The politician cited the most recent data from the State Statistics Service that birthrate in Ukraine in the first four months of 2021 dropped by 3.6 percent compared to the same period last year, from 92,300 to 89,000 persons. Death rate rose by 24.5 percent over the same time, having reached 242,800 persons.

According to Lovochkin, the decrease in the nation’s population by almost 146,000 people in the four months of 2021 (which is by 1.5 times more than same period last year) is equal to losing the population of a city like Kramatorsk or Melitopol.

“Ukraine is among global leaders in depopulation rates; by international standards, our forecast is negative. The demographic burden keeps increasing, caused by the rise of the share of people aged 65+. Currently, Ukraine has no replacement of working population with its own resources. 100 retirees are accounted for by 115 legal social taxpayers,” the politician said.

According to him, the situation in Ukraine is like a vicious cycle where one crisis causes another. The ageing of the population leads to worse social protection level, and this makes youth leave abroad to work and live, and this further increases the burden of the Pension Fund.

“To break the circle, we need the government to interfere. Our proposals are to increase and differentiate one-time birth payouts: 100,000 hryvnia for the first child, 200,000 hryvnia for the second one, 400,000 hryvnia for the third one and so on (instead of today’s 41,280 hryvnia). We also need a higher subsistence rate and payments that are tied to it, i.e. child support and single parent benefits,” the MP said.

“But the most important thing that will keep the youth in Ukraine and offer them sense of security about the future is attracting investments for job creation. This in turn will be a decisive factor for higher birthrate and migration of foreign workforce to our country. Therefore, creation of a favorable investment climate is a strategic task that all government’s decisions must align with,” Lovochkin said.