The worst birth-to-death ratio in the first half of 2026 was recorded in Ukraine’s frontline regions.
In Donetsk Oblast, there were 19 deaths for every newborn, and in Kherson Oblast, 14. In Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv Oblasts, the ratio was approximately one to six.
On average across Ukraine, there were nearly four deaths for every newborn. A year earlier, this ratio was one to three.
The best—though still negative—demographic balance among the regions was recorded in the Rivne, Volyn, and Zakarpattia regions. There, there were two deaths for every newborn.
In total, 73,292 thousand births and 259,853 thousand deaths were registered in Ukraine from January through June 2026, OpenDataBot reported on July 22, based on data from the Ministry of Justice.
birth rate, death rate, demographics, Donetsk Oblast, Kherson Oblast
In Ukraine, 73,292 thousand births and 259,853 thousand deaths were registered from January through June 2026. Thus, for every newborn, there were nearly four deaths, whereas in the first half of 2025, the ratio was one to three.
This was reported by OpenDataBot on July 22, citing data from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
The number of births in the first half of the year fell by 16% compared to the same period in 2025, when 86,795 thousand newborns were registered in Ukraine. Compared to the pre-war period, the birth rate has nearly halved.
On average, about 12,000 children were born each month in Ukraine throughout 2026. Ten years ago, the average monthly figure was about 32,000.
Boys accounted for 51% of newborns, and girls for 49%.
In the first half of 2026, 8,352 thousand births were registered in Kyiv—about 11% of the total number of newborns in Ukraine.
Lviv Oblast took second place, with 6,617 thousand children born. Next were Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with 5,611 thousand newborns and Odesa Oblast with 5,450 thousand.
At the same time, the birth rate declined not only in frontline regions but also in relatively safe regions. In the Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Ternopil regions, the number of births decreased by approximately 20% compared to the first half of 2025.
The sharpest decline was recorded in the Donetsk region, where the number of newborns fell by about three times. In the Zaporizhzhia region, the figure dropped by 23%.
In total, 73,292 births were registered in Ukraine from January through June 2026, which is 16% fewer than a year earlier, OpenDataBot reported on July 22, citing data from the Ministry of Justice.
According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) entitled “The real fertility crisis,” global birth rates have reached an all-time low, confirming the global trend toward demographic decline.
Key findings of the study
The average fertility rate has fallen from 5 to approximately 2.2–2.3 children per woman since 1950.
In more than half of countries, including the US, Germany, India, and Brazil, the average number of children per parent is below the replacement level of 2.1–2.2.
One in five adults in 14 countries surveyed (the US, India, Brazil, Germany, etc.) said they could not have as many children as they would like, primarily due to the high cost of living and financial problems.
The analysis shows that the problem is not a lack of desire to have children, but a lack of opportunities — a lack of social and financial support.
“The world has entered a phase of large-scale fertility decline… Many people feel they cannot have the family they want, and this is indeed a crisis,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the Fund.
Demographic instability — population decline and an aging population — threaten the economy and social structure of countries. The loss of young citizens — young families are postponing having children or deciding not to have them at all, which reduces consumption and national wealth. Geographical heterogeneity — while the populations of Europe and Japan are declining, growth is occurring mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The UNFPA report clearly states that fertility is declining not because of a lack of desire to have children, but because of a lack of adequate support from governments. Without PROGRAMMATIC assistance in the social and economic spheres, global societies risk facing demographically impoverished future generations.
