Ukraine Faces World’s Lowest Birth Rate and Highest Death Rate, CIA Report Says

Ukraine has the highest death rate and the lowest birth rate in the world, according to a report by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The report shows that Ukraine’s death rate stands at 18.6 per thousand people, the highest in the world. Lithuania ranks second in mortality with 15.02 per thousand, followed by Serbia at 14.9. Russia is in ninth place with 14 deaths per thousand people.

In contrast, the countries with the lowest mortality rates are Arab nations such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Additionally, the CIA report reveals that Ukraine has the lowest birth rate globally, with just six children born per thousand people, placing the country at the bottom of the ranking (228th). In comparison, the highest birth rate is found in African nations, with Niger topping the list at 46.6 births per thousand citizens.

According to Opendatabot, citing data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice, 87,655 children were born in the first half of 2024 — a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year. In contrast, 250,972 deaths were recorded during the same period.

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The industrial city, which had an estimated pre-war population of more than 700,000 people, lies around 35 kilometres from the nearest Russian positions.

“The birth rate this year has decreased by 1.5 times compared to pre-invasion levels: 87,655 children in 2024, compared to 132,595 in 2021,” the report read.

Birth rates remain critically low in frontline regions: just 221 children were born in the Kherson region, and 702 in Donetsk. Notably, not a single baby was registered in the Luhansk region during the first half of the year.

The report also disclosed that there are currently three deaths for every newborn — a stark indicator of the demographic crisis. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in the years 2018-2020, the ratio was two deaths per child.

According to the state news agency Ukrinform, citing the Ministry of Health, Ukraine’s birth rate has been declining by about 7% annually since 2013. The full-scale Russian invasion has exacerbated the crisis even further.

“In 2023, an average of about 16,100 babies were born each month. Before the full-scale invasion, monthly births fluctuated between 21,000 and 23,000,” the ministry reported.