After the borders were opened for young men, about 100,000 Ukrainian citizens aged 18–22 left the country

After the authorities granted permission for young people aged 18–22 to travel abroad in August 2025, nearly 100,000people in that age group left Ukraine permanently by November.

These figures were provided by the Center for Economic Strategy.

The Center added that almost one in seven young men left Ukraine. The number cited amounts to one-third of all citizens who left the country during all of 2025.

At the same time, overall emigration in 2025 fell by 34%—from 460,000 in 2024 to 300,000 people.

The number of Ukrainian refugees abroad reached 5.6 million.

Fewer than half of refugees—43%—plan to return.

The main reason people do not want to return is the security situation in the country.

In January, MP Serhii Nahorniak claimed that in the six months after men under 23 were allowed to travel abroad, more than half a million young Ukrainians left Ukraine.

The State Border Guard Service disputed those figures, saying the number was significantly lower.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister for humanitarian policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna said that during the years of the full-scale war, Ukraine has 2.4 million fewer young people.