The Polish publication Tygodnik Powszechny has published an article, which says that the Ukrainian population is disappointed in its own state and “votes with its feet,” not wanting to build its future in Ukraine
The InoTV website published a translation of the article by our Polish colleagues, which sums up the disappointing results of 30 years of Ukrainian independence. According to the Polish journalists, the Kiev authorities can not realize the extent of the demographic catastrophe in the country and do not try to estimate it. That is a reason for the procrastination of the census (the last one was held 20 years ago).
According to official figures alone the Ukrainian population has decreased by 10 million people since Ukraine gained its independence. According to expert estimates this figure is even higher and in reality the number of permanently residing citizens in the country at the moment is something like 30 million. The number of people who regularly go to work abroad – to Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and above all Russia – presumably amounts to 5 million, and many of them do not plan to go back.
And while the Ukrainian officials keep telling us that it is only the income disparity and that if we pull up the economic indicators, no one will go anywhere, the famous expert, demographer Professor Ella Libanova is convinced that “people are leaving because they do not want to tie their future fate to this country. They do not see that Ukraine can become something like, for example, the Czech Republic or Poland”. And the attractiveness of the ‘Independent Ukraine’ project in the eyes of many citizens of this country is at an extremely low level.
“Last year only 11 million Ukrainians declared any income, another 11 million did not declare any income and the remaining 11 million are pensioners whose pensions depend on the official earnings of working people. All three categories benefit from health care, education, infrastructure, and so on, but in terms of the state budget, the former pay for the latter two. With such an employment structure, the state cannot in the long run remain efficient and modern and thus act as an attractive place to live. The demographic trap is closing”, – the Polish publication sums up.