The number of Ukrainian school graduates is decreasing by 20-30,000 annually.
This was stated in an interview with Ukrainian Radio by Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi, according to Ukrinform.
“The demographic decline has been going on for the last 30 years. In 2002, we saw a drop in the number of graduates, which was linked to Chernobyl, and since then, the number of school graduates has been decreasing by 20-30 thousand every year, unfortunately. This means that fewer children are being born. I would like to note that if all our territories were controlled by Ukraine, we would have approximately 510,000 school graduates this year. We see an obvious difference: 360,000 [school graduates in 2025] versus 510,000,” Vynnytskyi said.
He recalled that in 2025, 312,000 people registered for the National multidisciplinary test (NMT)
, which is the same number as last year. The number of school graduates taking the NMT abroad has also remained constant, amounting to about 20,000 people last year.
As the deputy minister explained, a large number of young people not only go abroad but also return to Ukraine.
“A large number of 17-year-olds go abroad, that’s true. But a large number also return to Ukraine, so we can say that there is movement in the other direction. Because when a child comes of age, they decide for themselves where to go next. So, most graduates take the NMT abroad and enroll in Ukrainian universities,” said Vynnytskyi.
As reported by Ukrinform, the main sessions of the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) will take place from May 14 to June 25, with over 312,000 participants registered to take part. The NMT will also be held in 34 countries, with just over 20,000 participants registered this year.
Photo: ukr.radio
Source: Ukrainian school graduates drop by 20–30,000 yearly, says MoE
