Original version

BBC World Service Online

The Documentary

Documentaries

Factual

The Documentary Podcast

Investigating global developments, issues and affairs.

The Documentary: The Death of Ukraine

The Documentary: The Death of Ukraine: Death of Ukraine

LadiesPrilukyexercise2.jpg

30/06/2015 GMT

Death of Ukraine

The Death of Ukraine

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The Death of Ukraine, Death of Ukraine

Will demography rather than war, mean the death of Ukraine?

How emigration, a low birth rate and high mortality rate in men is proving to be a demographic time bomb, more acute than the affects of the war, in Ukraine.

In this special report from Ukraine, David Stern examines the causes and consequences of Ukraine’s other crisis – its demographic time bomb.  Since Independence in 1991, the population has decreased from 51 million to 45 million and is projected to be only 32 million by 2050 if conditions do not improve.

David travels across the country to meet  young families who can only afford one child. He meets  the elderly but sprightly ladies of Priluki. Women outlive men by at least 10 years due to the men’s excessive alcohol, smoking and generally poor attitude to health, and talks to a young family  who are leaving the country for the United States of America, having become tired of waiting for social and economic improvement.

(Photo: Elderly ladies of Priluki exercising in the local community centre)

BBC World Service

David Stern examines Ukraine’s other crisis: how emigration, a low birth rate and early deaths mean a demographic time bomb.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Documentary

The Death of Ukraine

Death of Ukraine

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service