Chernyshov emphasized that Ukraine aims to maintain a connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland.
"On our Independence Day in 1991, Ukraine was a country of 52 million people," he said.
"Within ten years, this number dropped to 48 million. By the time of the first invasion, it was only 45 million."
He added that after the occupation of Crimea in 2015, the country’s population had already fallen to 42 million.
"In 2024, we will be a country of 32 million people — an alarming figure," Chernyshov explained.
"The good news is that our nation as a whole numbers 60 million people. The challenge is that half of them live outside the country: people who left through different means before the large-scale invasion, war refugees, and the broader diaspora."
According to his estimates, around 5 million Ukrainians reside in Europe after fleeing due to the war. For one-third of Ukrainians, the key factor in deciding to return home is the end of the war, he said. The success of economic and democratic reforms in the country is also crucial.
Previously, Ukraine’s ombudsman warned that by 2051, the country’s population could shrink to 25.2 million.
To prevent a demographic crisis, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets proposed allocating budget funds for the cryopreservation of reproductive cells for Ukrainian soldiers. These proposals have been included in the state budget for 2025.
On Oct. 2, the Ukrainian government approved a demographic development strategy for Ukraine through 2040. The decision was driven by factors such as war, low birth rates, migration, high premature mortality, and labor market imbalances.