The impact of the economic crisis on the demographic situation in Ukraine

Abstract

Ukraine is an example of huge social and economic costs resulting from the deep economic crisis related to the introduction of free market economy mechanisms. Unemployment, part-time employment, rapid increase in food prices and difficult situation on the real estate market are the major results of
the implemented reforms and reasons for such difficult demographic situation. The economic situation involves transformations in demographic structures of the country. Since the early 90s the decrease of the populations’ growth rate in all administrative units has been observed. In the peripheral areas it has been at the level of -20‰. At present the population in towns is characterized by a positive population growth rate while in the rural areas the rate is still negative. A highly advanced population decrease process results in the depopulation together with the disappearance of the entire settlements in the rural areas.