In a compelling new article published by the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert on 6 November 2025, authors Kateryna Odarchenko and Zoryana Golovata investigate the growing phenomenon of youth out-migration in Ukraine and its implications for the country’s demographic and economic stability.
The analysis highlights that following the August 2025 decision to permit male Ukrainians aged 18-22 to travel internationally, there has been a sharp rise in emigration among this cohort. While precise numbers remain elusive, reports suggest nearly 100,000 young Ukrainian men entered Poland in just two months, and German registrations from this age group jumped ten-fold.
Ukraine already faced chronic demographic pressure before the war—low birth-rates, emigration, and labour shortages. The war has intensified these trends: many young men remain in service, while companies across the construction, manufacturing, and transport sectors report acute staffing deficits. According to the 2024 survey by the European Business Association, 71 % of Ukrainian companies reported significant workforce shortages.
Odarchenko emphasises that addressing this dual challenge of out-migration and labour shortage will require comprehensive policy responses: boosting vocational training, integrating underutilised labour (including women), incentivising return migration, and adjusting institutional frameworks to the realities of wartime economics.