The birth rate in Kyiv has been declining for almost two decades: if in 2015 more than 35 thousand babies were born in the capital, then after 2022 this figure will barely exceed 19 thousand, according to the calculations UNNDespite this, Kyiv remains the leader in birth rate among all regions of Ukraine.
How the birth rate fell in Kyiv
In 2015, the capital recorded 35,558 births. By 2019, the figure had fallen to around 30,000 — even before the full-scale invasion began. After 2022, the decline accelerated: now just over 19,000 children are born in Kyiv each year.
In ten years, the capital has lost almost half of its newborns — and the bottom of this decline is still in sight.
Reasons: migration, front and horizon "survive the night"
After February 2022, several factors influenced the birth rate: mass emigration and forced displacement within the country, the lack of men - most of them at the front, economic instability and the general health of the population. The planning horizon has significantly narrowed: for many Ukrainians, it has been reduced to "survive the year" or "survive this night" - and this is fundamentally incompatible with the decision to have a child.
Where are most Kyiv residents born?
The leader among maternity hospitals in the capital is the Kyiv Perinatal Center - it emerged after the merger of the 5th maternity hospital and the institution based on the 7th, which finally took place in 2023. In fact, the largest perinatal cluster in Ukraine emerged.
According to the center's medical director, Victoria Bila, in 2017 the facility received 7,000 births per year. After the merger, the figure increased: in 2024 — 8,300 births, in 2025 — 7,600. Despite the overall decline in the birth rate, the center remains a leader: the most complex cases from all over Kyiv and almost the entire flow of premature births are referred here.
How much does the state allocate for childbirth?
Under the NHSU medical guarantee program, childbirth in Ukraine is free — institutions receive reimbursement of about UAH 20 for each case, regardless of the type of delivery. Since 2020, the NHSU has paid over UAH 2 billion to Kyiv maternity hospitals, of which UAH 554 million to the Perinatal Center. Another UAH 1,1 billion has been paid for complex neonatal cases, and UAH 228 million for assistance to premature babies.
Why is this important to know?
The demographic crisis is a challenge not only for Kyiv, but also for the entire country. While millions of Ukrainians are abroad and men are fighting at the front, no financial incentives will restore pre-war birth rates. As we previously wrote, three maternity hospitals in the Kyiv region provided more than half of all births in the region.
These statistics from UNN expose one of the most painful and difficult problems of modern Ukraine - a deep demographic crisis. The fact that even in the capital, which is traditionally considered the most financially and security-protected city in the country, the birth rate has almost halved is a serious alarming signal.
Let's structure the analysis of this demographic picture and the financial component of the medical system in Kyiv.
Chronology of the demographic peak in the capital
The decline in the birth rate in Kyiv began long before the Great War, but events after 2022 turned this process into a rapid decline:
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2015 (pre-war decade high): newborns.
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2019 (creeping recession before the pandemic): newborns.
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After 2022 (military plateau): barely exceeds newborns.
Result: In 10 years, Kyiv has lost Up to 46% from the annual birth rate. However, despite this decline, the capital still remains the absolute leader in the number of children born among all regions of Ukraine, based on the total population.
Complex of reasons: Why has the planning horizon narrowed?
Experts and doctors identify several interrelated factors that make it impossible to make a decision about adding to the family:
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Security psychosis and ultra-short planning horizon: When daily life is subordinated to the logic of "getting through this night" due to constant air raids and shelling, planning for a child years ahead becomes psychologically impossible.
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Mobilization and the front: A significant portion of men of reproductive age are in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which physically separates families.
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Large-scale migration: Millions of young women with children have gone abroad, and a significant number of them are adapting in EU countries.
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Economic pressure: Labor market instability, infrastructure destruction, and uncertainty about the future are somewhat devaluing financial incentives.
Medical Reform: The Emergence of a Supercluster
In response to the crisis and the decrease in the number of patients, the government and city authorities took the path of consolidating medical institutions. In 2023, through the merger of the 5th and 7th maternity hospitals, a new hospital was created. KNP "Perinatal Center of Kyiv" — the largest obstetrics and gynecology cluster in the country.
Its dynamics reflect the general trend, although due to the concentration of patients, the numbers remain high:
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2017 (before merger): 7,000 births.
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2024 (after unification): 7,000 births.
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2025: 7,600 births (decline even within the main institution).
National Health Service Mathematics: How much does the state pay for childbirth?
Despite the crisis, the system's funding under the Medical Guarantees Program remains stable. For patients, childbirth in public institutions is free of charge, and hospitals receive direct money from the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU):
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Basic rate for 1 delivery: (paid to the institution for the very fact of taking delivery).
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Total maternity payments in Kyiv (as of 2020): ponad .
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Share of the Kyiv Perinatal Center: .
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Additional funds for complex cases: allocated for neonatal care, and also — for nursing premature babies (since the center accumulates the most severe pathologies and premature births).
Visnovok
Kyiv statistics clearly prove: purely financial instruments (state benefits, free childbirth from the National Health Insurance Fund) unable to reverse the demographic trendThe main prerequisites for the restoration of fertility are security, the return of women from abroad, and the de-occupation and stabilization of the country, which will allow Ukrainians to once again plan for the future beyond one day.
