Taras Chmut
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Ukraine’s government-controlled territory had 28.5 million residents in mid-2026
The Institute of Demography estimated that Ukraine’s government-controlled territory had 28.5 million residents in mid-2026, about 500,000 fewer than in its previous estimate. The institute identified migration, rather than war deaths, as the main driver of population loss. Mortality currently exceeds births by roughly 3.5 times, while more than 4.4 million Ukrainians were receiving temporary protection in the EU.