In the first half of 2024, 250,972 deaths and 87,655 births of children were recorded in Ukraine
In Ukraine, every year it is more and more difficult to hear children’s laughter in families where newborns should become a symbol of hope and revival. But, unfortunately, the demographic situation continues to cause alarm. The number of new lives that begin in our country has decreased significantly, and the number of those who leave this world is increasing. Behind these numbers are thousands of stories of families fighting for their future in difficult conditions, and the reality of today, where every child becomes a real miracle against the background of the demographic crisis.
In the first six months of 2024, 87,655 children were born in Ukraine, which is 9% less than in the same period last year. At the same time, 250,972 deaths were registered. The largest number of babies and deaths were found in the Dnipropetrovsk region and the capital.
According to data from Opendatabot, the birth rate in 2024 fell by 1.5 times compared to the figures before the start of the full-scale invasion: 87,655 children compared to 132,595 in 2021.
The highest birth rates were recorded in Kyiv, where 9,695 babies were born, in Lviv Oblast — 7,923, and in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — 6,962. In regions close to the front line, the number of newborns is consistently low: only 221 children were registered in Kherson region, and 702 in Donetsk region. In Luhansk region, no births were registered in the first half of 2024.
Currently, there are three deaths for every newborn in Ukraine, which is an important indicator of a deep demographic crisis. For comparison, in 2018-2020, before the start of the pandemic, there were two deaths per one born child. In the first half of 2024, 250,972 deaths were recorded, which is 1.4 times less than in the corresponding period of 2021, when 349,041 deaths were registered. However, it is worth considering that 2021 was the year when mortality peaked due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lowest mortality rates were recorded in the front-line Kherson (2,334) and Donetsk (5,753) regions, as well as in the Chernivtsi region (5,422). The most deaths were registered in Dnipropetrovsk region (26,374), Kharkiv region (17,999) and Kyiv (17,449).
