Authorities decline to disclose Ukraine’s population size

Arsen Makarchuk. Photo: Ukrinform

Ukraine’s State Statistics Service has prepared current population figures but does not yet plan to publish them, the agency’s head, Arsen Makarchuk, said in a comment to Ukrinform.

According to the official, an estimate of the country’s current population does exist, but it remains closed to the public. “We have calculated these indicators and are now discussing what can be made public. So far, this information has not been disclosed, but I hope we will reach a consensus with the government and be able to publish it,” Makarchuk said.

Ukraine’s last official population estimate was dated February 1, 2022. The head of the State Statistics Service noted that there is now a “plurality of estimates” from international institutions – including the UN, the IMF, and the World Bank – as well as from private researchers. At the same time, the margin of error is around plus or minus 4 million people, which makes it impossible to achieve the necessary level of detail without conducting a full census.

The authorities do not plan to conduct a full population census until at least a year and a half to two years after the end of hostilities. Makarchuk explained that this time would be needed for social processes to run their course – including people returning, demobilization, and the reintegration of citizens into society. “Only then will it make sense to record the state and size of the population,” he concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the UN had reported violations of the rights of believers and religious communities in Ukraine.

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