In Ukraine, mortality rate is four times higher than birth rate – statistics

Illustrative image of a Ukrainian woman with an infant. Photo: UOJ.

On July 22, 2026, it became known that 73,292 children were born in Ukraine in the first six months, while the number of deaths reached 259,853. Thus, the mortality rate was nearly four times higher than the birth rate, reports OpenDataBot citing data from the Ministry of Justice.

Compared to the first half of 2025, the number of newborns decreased by 16%, and compared to the same period in 2021 – by nearly half. Currently, approximately 12,000 children are born in Ukraine each month, whereas ten years ago this figure was around 32,000.

The highest number of births was recorded in Kyiv – 8,352. Among the regions, Lviv Oblast leads with 6,617 children, followed by Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – 5,611, Odesa Oblast – 5,450, and Kyiv Oblast – 4,584. The most significant decline in birth rates was recorded in frontline regions, as well as in Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Ternopil oblasts.

Over six months, 259,853 deaths were registered in the country, which is 4% more than during the same period in 2025. This is the first official increase in mortality in the past five years. The highest number of deaths was recorded in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – 28,386 people, while the highest growth rate was in Kyiv, where it increased by 11%.

The most severe situation has developed in Donetsk Oblast, where there are 19 deaths for every newborn, and in Kherson Oblast – 14. In Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv oblasts, the ratio is one to six. The most favorable indicators remain in Rivne, Volyn, and Zakarpattia oblasts – there, two deaths occur for every birth.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the UGCC spoke out against bringing labor migrants into Ukraine.

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