The director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research, academician Ella Libanova, revealed that the data on the number of refugees from Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in mid-February 2022 varies, depending on the source of information.
According to Libanova, there are two main sources of data on the number of people who left Ukraine - European and UN structures, as well as Ukrainian border guards.
"If we take the balance from February 24, 2022 to the present time - everyone who left, minus those who returned, then we will receive approximately 1.8 million. However, if you follow only the data of the UN, then this figure is approximately 6 million," she explained.
Libanova also pointed to the difference in numbers and noted that this may be due to the fact that initially not all emigrants were included in the statistics. In addition, the registration system may be complicated by the departure of citizens abroad with internal documents.
"It is quite possible that some number of people were registered abroad, but returned and now live here. This is similar to the situation with the occupied territories," she added.
At the same time, Libanova emphasized that the UN data on 6 million refugees includes those who are in Russia and beyond.
"Currently, the population of Ukraine is about 37 million people within the borders of 1991. And if we take into account the occupied territories, then approximately 31.5 million," concluded the director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research.
