During the last three decades the fertility rate in Ukraine has closely followed the GDP path and declined from 2.08 children per woman (in 1986) to 1.37 (in 2017). Overprotective labour legislation combined with inefficient family policies put the childbearing cost almost entirely on women. As a result, the country faces a serious demographic threat – the population is declining while the dependency ratio is rising.
OP-ED
Hanna Vakhitova, Ilona Sologoub: Low fertility threatens Ukrainian future
People attend the March of Defenders to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Ukraine's independence on August 24, 2019.
