Ukraine has revealed that the war ongoing for more than four years has triggered a demographic crisis and a severe labor shortage, with official estimates indicating that the country needs around two million workers to fill growing gaps across several vital sectors.
According to Ukrainian media reports citing Ukrainian Minister of Social Policy Denys Uliutin, the population in territories controlled by Kyiv has declined to approximately 25 million people, with the official describing the country’s demographic situation as “catastrophic.”
The minister said the crisis has been worsened by the growing number of social welfare beneficiaries and retirees, alongside a shrinking economically active population.
According to the same sources, Ukrainian authorities expect around two million people to return to the country after the war ends or a lasting ceasefire is reached. However, officials acknowledged that such a scenario would not resolve the current crisis affecting the labor market and the country’s social system.
In response, Ukrainian authorities have started discussing measures to facilitate the recruitment of foreign workers to address labor shortages. The Ukrainian presidency has tasked the Foreign Ministry and security services with reviewing a list of 70 countries, including Morocco, in order to ease restrictions related to labor recruitment.
Ukraine’s employment agency stated that the country issued around 20,000 work permits annually to foreign nationals before the war. However, the number dropped to 4,720 permits in 2024 and 7,483 in 2025, while authorities stressed that employment priority continues to be given to Ukrainian citizens.
At the same time, the changes imposed by the consequences of the war are expected to push Ukraine to increase labor recruitment from countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, and Afghanistan, particularly as the country faces mounting challenges linked to displacement, migration, and population decline.
